Harry Potter and The Fullmetal Alchemist
by HiBob
Summary: Another Edward Elric meets Harry Potter fanfic. Actually, Ed meets the Wizengamot. Something to do with murder and using the Dark Arts.
1. Day One: Morning

The following is a crossover between Harry Potter and Fullmetal Alchemist. The author should note that he owns the rights to neither of these, nor will he obtain them in the foreseeable future. In the context of the story, it concerns events occurring in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, from the point at which Harry gains possession of the sword of Godric Gryffindor. Relative to the Fullmetal Alchemist, the events are an alternative telling of what happened after Edward attempted to restore his brother to his original form.

The following is for those who are not familiar with either story. Others may feel free to begin reading the story itself.

Harry Potter, at this point, is searching for the Horocruxes, ordinary objects that the Dark Lord, Voldemort, has imbued with parts of his own soul. As long as one of these are intact, Voldemort cannot die. At this point, Harry is in possession of one of these, a locket. Once Harry destroys all of these, he can then face Voldemort and fulfill the prophecy. The prophecy does not insure that he will defeat Voldemort. Only that he can. But Harry has a power that Voldemort knows nothing of. Albus Dumbledore, the late Headmaster of Hogwarts School, said that this power was Harry's capacity to love.

Edward Elric is the Fullmetal Alchemist. His right arm and left leg are automail, an advanced form of prosthetic limb. His brother, Alphonse, is a seven foot tall suit of armour. When they were very young, their father left home. As they grew older, their mother sickened and died. For their own reasons, they managed to obtain a tutor and learn alchemy.

When Ed was twelve and Al was ten, they set their plan into motion. They obtained the ingredients that make up the human body and placed them in a transmutation circle. Then they attempted a human transformation. They tried to bring their mother back from the dead.

Something came, but it wasn't their mother. And Al's body was dragged into the vortex that was created and it was consumed. Ed was lucky. He only lost his left leg. But he also gained knowledge in the process. And he used this knowledge to force his brother's soul back through the vortex and anchor it to a suit of armour. This action cost him his right arm.

Four years later, Ed and Al came into possession of the Philosopher's Stone, an artifact which permitted the bearer to use alchemy while ignoring its laws. But Ed was killed in the process. As the story begins, Al has used the stone in an effort to restore his brother to his body.

HARRY POTTER AND THE

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST

The first rule of Alchemy: Equivalent Exchange

To gain, something of equal value must be lost.

_There are many ways to describe it. A portal. A glowing light. A beacon. In the minds of the Elric brothers it was always pictured as a gate. Through the gate, envisioned as a great door which led to truth, chaos, evil, the void, there existed, for lack of better words, the lost souls. But if someone went through who was not dead, and if they were very lucky, they could go through that door and out the other side. Edward had done this on one occasion. He encountered a world without alchemy. But it was also a world at war._

_ Edward had died and stood before the gate once more. But his brother, Alphonse, had the means to follow him. And to send him back to the world of the living, taking his place. This was something Edward could not accept. If one of them had to die, it should be him._

_ So they fought. Only one could go back and each had chosen the other. Neither would concede. And as they fought, the gate opened and swallowed them. Despite the chaos around them, they still fought each other. It was not a physical battle because the physical made no sense in this plane of existence. But their fighting did have a significant result. They did not pass directly through the void to that other world , nor did they return to their own world. To use an analogy, they both left by a side door. _

* * *

Day One: Morning

Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister for Magic, sat in his appointed place and sighed. The worst thing about the aftermath of the War were the trials of the accused. While he would council for leniency in many cases, there were still more than a few that demanded the strongest action. This case was one of the worst. The only good fortune in this case was that the prisoner had shown that he did not even care to defend himself. The trial would only be a formality.

The Minister called the Wizengamut to order. He then called for the defendant to be brought in. A young man, barely an adult, was placed in the witness chair, his chains secure. Small of stature. Long, blond hair tied back in an intricate braid. His most striking feature were his right arm and left leg. They were made of metal. Metal that was enhanced to act as normal limbs. Kingsley eyed him carefully, then read the charges.

"Edward Elric," the Minister intoned, "you are accused of the use of the Dark Arts, possession of dark materials, subversion of others to your methods and, lastly, of murder. How do you plead?"

The young man laughed. "Oh, Am I supposed to answer? Gee, this is real tough. I think I'll plead, um, let me think . . . Guilty," the young man smiled with sarcasm. "At least I can save myself from being bored to death by you people telling me how horrible I am before you get around to convicting me."

His smile grew as not a few wizards and witches muttered to each other. The most common remark was that he deserved worse, although what could be worse than what he faced. At least they gave him a farce of a trial. Al wouldn't even get that. He looked to the Minister as a gavel banged.

"It is the decision of the Wizengamut that the condemned be sentenced to spend the rest of his days in Azkaban prison with no hope . . ."

The door to the chamber could be heard opening. Everyone had been as quiet as possible to hear the sentencing. The door closed. As Minister Shacklebolt said the word, "hope", he was interrupted by a man saying, "Excuse me, Kingsley."

Minister Shacklebolt looked surprised at the familiarity in such a setting. His surprise increased as he recognized the man who was addressing him.

"Arthur Weasley, this is a formal proceeding. I must insist on being addressed properly. And I must ask you to wait until this case is concluded before you approach the Wizengamut."

"I couldn't do that, Ki . . . Minister," Arthur said as he stepped forward toward the prisoner. Both the spectators and the Wizard's Council were talking amongst themselves about what was going on. Arthur Weasley patiently waited until the noise died down sufficiently so that he could be heard.

"I'm here to defend the boy."

"The boy has already pleaded guilty."

Arthur broke out in a grin that would have made his sons proud. "There you have it. Not Guilty by reason of insanity." His tone became serious. "The boy clearly did nothing that would require him to confess to any crime. And he did nothing wrong that he has not already punished himself for. As council for the defendant, I wish to submit a plea of not guilty to all charges."

Kingsley Shacklebolt sighed. He had expected this trial to be short. It now threatened to take a very long time. "The Council recognizes Arthur Weasley as defense council for the accused. The previous plea will be stricken from the records and a plea of not guilty will be entered in its place." With a frown he addressed Arthur directly. "Which charge do you wish to answer first?"

Arthur Weasley stood next to Ed and placed a comforting hand on the confused boy's shoulder. "I think all of them at once." He paused, "Yes, I think that is the right answer. Minister, I wish to present witnesses to all of the events that have occurred since the prisoner arrived in our world."

Kingsley eyed his friend carefully. "Our World."

Arthur's smile held. "Yes, Edward Elric comes from another world."

Kingsley stared in surprise. Nor was he the only one. Arthur Weasley had unwittingly created a stir by such a bold statement. Then he recognized the man's smug grin and corrected himself. The effort was deliberate. He banged his gavel and called the Wizangamut to order.

"Do you know which world he came from?"

"No," Arthur admitted, "And it doesn't really matter, He is here and, for many reasons, he will never be able to return. The point is that he came here as a stranger with no knowledge of our ways. It is by his actions we must judge him . . ." He held up his hands for quiet as several wizards and witches voiced their opinions that they were quite prepared to do that. "But it is important that we know exactly what he did."

"We know, already," someone shouted.

"You don't," Arthur insisted. He glared at the members of the Wizengamut as some snickered and a few laughed outright. In an angry voice he asked, "Then tell me. Anyone. What did he do on his very first day in our world." His anger disappeared and the Weasley smile returned. "I call the first witness, the first person to meet the prisoner. Ronald Weasley, please step into the witness box."

A tall red-haired boy rose from his seat when his name was called. He walked forward and entered the witness box. Arthur and he shared grins while Edward Elric looked at them with curiosity, a look that was shared by the members of the Wizengamut.

"Please state your full name for the record," Arthur said.

"Sure, Dad. Ronald Bilius Weasley."

Arthur rolled his eyes as a few wizards and witches laughed. "And would you tell everyone where you first met the accused,"

"The Forest of Dean," Ron said. Arthur nodded to him and Ron begin to relate the events of that first night."

* * *

_"Brother?"_

_ Ed woke at the sound of Al's voice and opened his eyes. It was dark, but the small campfire gave sufficient light. Ed could tell he was surrounded by trees. They were in a forest, somewhere. Ed looked at his brother. "How'd you get a fire going?" he asked softly._

_ "Alchemy," Al explained, pointing to the circle that the fire sat within._

_ "But Alchemy doesn't . . ." Ed started to explain that alchemy didn't work in the other world, but the transmutation circle could only mean one thing: They had not arrived there. He assumed that they must still be in their own world, although he could not say where. He quickly took stock of the situation. Al was still the same. He was still a seven foot tall suit of armor. Ed checked his right arm and left leg. Briefly, he had hoped he was whole again, but he was also the same. The arm and leg were still metal. Ed sighed._

_ "I guess we're right back where we started. Except now we're lost. And we even lost the Philosopher's Stone."_

_ "But we're together, Brother. That's all that matters."_

_ Ed was about to argue when he heard the noise. Al heard it too and instinctively put out the fire with his iron hands. They stood up and inched their way through the trees until they reached a clearing. At the other end they saw a human figure following what looked like a deer that was glowing white. Ed and Al stepped forward, then stopped suddenly. A few yards away, staring at them (at Al) in shock, was a tall young man close to Ed's age._

_ They stared at each other for what seemed like years until they were distracted by a sound of something cracking followed by the sound of a splash. Without hesitation, all three began running._

* * *

"We found Harry," Ron said, "That's Harry Potter, floating face down in the freezing water of a pond. In his hand was clutched the Sword of Godric Gryffindor. It was Alphonse Elric who pulled him out, although I didn't know their names, yet. I tried to revive Harry but he was dead."

"Dead?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked. Many in the chamber were expressing their surprise. They had all heard of or seen the Chosen One in action since that time. The trial had given everyone their second surprise in only a few minutes. The tale they were being told was definitely a strange one.

"Yes, Sir," Ron replied. "I remember going barmy for a bit, shouting at Harry to get up. Then I yelled at Ed and Al, telling them it was their fault, how he was the Chosen One, how Voldemort was sure to win. Then they started hacking at the ground."

* * *

_"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Ron asked as the two strangers began making an outline in the frozen ground._

_ "It's your lucky day, buddy," The blond boy said with forced cheerfulness. "We're going to bring your friend back."_

_ "How?" Ron asked._

_ "Alchemy. This is a transmutation circle . . ." He noticed Ron's look of confusion. "Trust me on this. We'll explain later."_

_ "Brother?" the armoured man asked, although he sounded young._

_ "You heard him, Al." The boy was serious. "Our coming here changed the fate of these people. If we didn't stop this guy, he'd probably have rescued his pal and they would've gone on to save the world. I'm betting this dead guy, Harry, hasn't gone through the gate yet. And I'm gonna take his place."_

_ "Ed," the armoured boy, Al, said with anger. He stood up as the circle was completed and walked over to the dead boy, picking him up. "you don't have to play the hero. If someone has to be . . . you know . . . it should be me."_

_ Suddenly, Ron understood what they were talking about, but he had to ask the question. "If someone has to what?"_

_ Ed had taken a kneeling position at the edge of the transmutation circle. Al had already lain Harry's body inside the circle and was taking his position opposite his brother. It was Al who answered._

_ "Alchemy is based on Equivalent Exchange. To gain, something of equal value must be lost."_

_ Ed nodded in agreement. "Look, buddy . . ."_

_ "Ron."_

_ "Okay, Ron, we can bring Harry's soul back but we have to leave a soul behind to take its place. And I'm feeling sacrificial today."_

_ "Brother, it should be me."_

_ "NO, AL. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT. I'll make it right."_

_ "Um, listen mate," Ron interrupted, "I happen to know where there's a spare soul." He pointed at the locket that was still around Harry's neck. He saw Ed's confused look and couldn't help himself. "Trust me on this. I'll explain later."_

* * *

"And it worked," Ron said, cheerfully.

As Ron stepped out of the witness box, one wizard, Amos Diggory, spoke up. "Minister, this testimony is spurious at the least. The Weasley family's relationship with the prisoner is well know. Despite my personal knowledge of the man's integrity, I would like to hear from a more reliable witness."

Ed watched from his position with curiosity. He knew from talking with Ron's sister, Ginny, that the wizard who was speaking was a neighbor and close friend of their family. Then he saw it. Diggory gave Arthur Weasley a curious look. Ed smiled. Diggory was a friend. He was trying to emphasize the weakest point in the defense, hoping he was correct about what was to come next. As Diggory demanded a more reliable witness, Arthur said he had one. "I call Harry Potter." He turned back to the Wizengamut. "He was also there, Amos. Remember?"

Ed turned to look as Harry walked up. In less than a year, he had grown considerable. Not in height, but in bearing. He carried himself with much more confidence than he had the first time they met.

"For the record, please state your full name," Arthur said easily.

"Harry James Potter."

"Please tell us, in your own words, what happened in the Forest of Dean on the night you first met the accused."

Harry nodded his head. He began by explaining that he was keeping watch when he noticed a patronus in the shape of a doe. He knew, now, that this was the work of the late headmaster, Severus Snape, who was trying to deliver the sword of Godric Gryffindor as his predecessor, Albus Dumbledore had requested. The nature of the sword required an heroic act in order to obtain it. That is why it had been placed at the bottom of a shallow pond frozen over with ice. But, Harry admitted, he had made a mistake. A deadly mistake. He still had around his neck the horocrux. The locket which was possessed with a part of Voldemort's soul. It weighed him down with its dark magic so that he was unable to raise himself above the water. He added that drowning was a terrible way to die.

"It was when I knew I was dead that I found myself surrounded by light. In front of me was a . . . gate. That's the best I can describe it. Two giant doors surrounded by nothing . . ."

* * *

_"What is this?" Voldemort asked when he suddenly found himself in the company of a small boy and a large armoured man. Another figure, a young man with black hair was some short distance in front of him._

_ "This is the gate of ultimate truth, my lord," Edward said smoothly. "To pass through it is to gain all the knowledge that the world has to offer."_

_ "Knowledge?" The idea excited the Dark Lord. If it was true._

_ "We didn't mean to drag you here so suddenly, Master," Ed continued in his most convincing tone. "But that man there, he's Harry Potter. He found his way here before we could complete our plans to come to you. That is why we had to rush. If he passes through the gate first . . ."_

_ "I understand," Voldemort told him. "He will gain the knowledge to defeat me. But . . . how do I know I can trust you."_

_ "Because," Ed explained, "when the gate opens, he'll try to walk in. We'll hold him back. That way, the knowledge will go to the one who deserves it, the one who knows how to use it. It is all we can do to help you, Master."_

_ Voldemort smiled as he waited for these two to prove themselves. When the gate opened, Harry Potter did try to walk forward. The boy and the armoured man both ran forward and grabbed Potter, forcing him backward. Voldemort, satisfied that they had told him the truth, stepped forward._

_ It was as he was almost to the gate that Voldemort looked back. His intention was to give Potter a gloating look, to let the boy know that he had failed. But the Dark Lord stopped to stare. As he recognized the true nature of the dual souls of the boy, he realized the trap. This was not a portal of knowledge. It was a chamber of death. At the last instant he chose to walk away. But he could not._

_ Tendrils of death had reached out from behind the gate and ensnared him. Against his will, he was dragged inward. The gate closed behind him without a sound. And the souls of three young men returned to the earthly plane and to their bodies._

* * *

"I think I was more surprised than Ron when I suddenly opened my eyes," Harry told the gathering.

Kingsley Shacklebolt interrupted with a question. "You said Voldemort, the part of his soul that was in the horocrux, looked surprised when he looked back at you?"

"Yes, Minister. I did not know this at the time, although it should have been obvious, but I also possessed a piece of Voldemort's soul. It was only later that I realized I was also a horocrux. I think he saw this when he looked at me. Fortunately, by then it was too late for him to do anything."

Harry paused for the outburst that was to come. And it came with a vengeance. Wizards and witches were shouting all at once. It was with an anger backed by the repugnance of what they heard, that they returned to silence.

"Continue, Harry," Arthur said calmly.

"I should tell you, Minister, that was why I went to meet Voldemort during the battle of Hogwarts. I needed to sacrifice myself in order to destroy the Horocrux, so that Voldemort himself could be destroyed. And I was lucky again. Because of my mother's sacrifice when I was first attacked, I did survive the killing curse again. And because Voldemort was not protected, the part of his soul within me was destroyed."

"And how do we know you're telling the truth about that," one wizard shouted.

"Because Voldemort IS dead," Arthur Weasley answered angrily, "and we should all be thankful that Harry was smart enough to figure out what happened to him. And brave enough to do something about it." He lowered his head as though embarrassed. "He was in Gryffindor, after all."

The Minister banged his gavel for silence. "It is no crime to discover a horocrux and to destroy it. Even under such . . . unfortunate . . . circumstances. We must commend Mister Potter for his actions, and we do understand and accept why he has not revealed this information prior to this hearing."

Kingsley looked around. "I think this would be a good time to call a recess. We will reconvene in one hour."


	2. Day One: Afternoon

A/N: My thanks to everyone who has read. Double thanks to those who've left reviews. I will try to respond to them as soon as I figure out why sends me e-mails of them but tells me nothing is there when I try to respond. I know it's me, but I'm too lazy to figure it out.

Day One: Afternoon

"The Wizengamot will come to order."

Kingsley Shacklebolt banged his gavel and called the court to session. Edward Elric was again led in and chained to his chair. Harry Potter again stood in the witness box. The Chamber became silent as Arthur Weasley stood up. Minister Shacklebolt banged his gavel.

"Arthur Weasley, counsel for the defense will continue his questioning of the witness, Harry James Potter."

Arthur smiled at Edward. The blond boy felt encouraged for a moment that he might have a chance. But he knew what was coming. The damning evidence that would condemn his brother.

Arthur Weasley asked Harry to explain what happened after the incident at the pond. Ed noticed that Harry paused. Harry knew. Harry knew that his words would condemn Alphonse Elric. It was a small respite that Ed understood that this was something Harry, too, wished to avoid.

"We took the Elric brothers with us to our tent." Harry smiled briefly. "We introduced them to Hermione Granger and explained what had happened."

* * *

_The girl's eyes widened as Ed walked into the tent. Almost as much as Ed's did when he realized the tent was bigger on the inside than the outside. But then the girl gasped and stepped backward. She pulled out her wand before she could think._

_ "Tell her you're Sir Cadogan," Ron whispered quickly to Al._

_ "I am Sir Cabbage Man," Al said nervously as he stared at the wand. Ed looked at the laughing figures around him and shrugged his shoulders._

* * *

"Hermione was surprised to see them, but listened carefully as we told her what happened. We also explained to the Elric brothers what are situation was. In view of what they had done for me, we also explained about the Horocruxes that we were searching for. Most of the discussion after that was about Alchemy. We were curious about how they had managed such an unusual form of magic. We also asked about where they came from."

Ed noticed that Harry barely mentioned the hushed but heated argument the three had. As far as he could understand, Ron had not been a good boy.

* * *

_"Amestris?" Hermione asked. "I've never heard of it."_

_ "It's a different world, I expect," Ed told her. "I went through the gate once before. I landed in a place called London. They were at war with someone called the Huns. I remember seeing strange airships, giant balloons but shaped like cigars."_

_ "London?" Harry asked. "London, England?"_

_ "Airships?" asked Ron._

_ "Dirigibles," Hermione answered as though that word explained everything. She was thinking. "That would have been during the Second World War? But that was decades ago."_

_ Ed nodded to her. "I was whole, there, at least my body was. But one of the airships was shot down and it crashed on top of me. I guess my body died there and I returned to my own body, here . . . um, in Amestris."_

_ "Attacking dirigibles?" Hermione asked to clarify. "That probably wasn't our world either. I remember reading that dirigibles were used by the Germans only for scouting. But . . . what did you mean that you were whole?"_

_ Ed sighed. He pulled the glove off his right hand, revealing metal fingers and joints. "My arm's made of automail. So is my left leg. I lost them . . . in an accident."_

_ Hermione nodded slowly. Then she turned to Al. Ed silently cursed. Harry had mentioned that Hermione was smart. Ron had added that she was absolutely brilliant. And he knew what she was about to ask._

_ "Alphonse, what did you lose. After all, you are wearing a full suit of armour." Her tone showed that she was both curious and afraid of the answer. It also told Ed that she would accept not receiving an answer at all if the subject was too painful._

_ "You don't have to say anything, Al."_

_ "Brother, I think we should trust them. Their magic may be able to help us."_

_ Al reached up and removed his helmet. Harry, Ron and Hermione all gasped. The armour was empty._

* * *

Kingsley Shacklebolt nodded gravely. "And he pointed out the mark that held his soul to the suit of armour?"

"Yes, Minister," Harry said gravely.

"There is the proof," said a wizard to Kingsley's right. "A soul tied to an inanimate object. A Horocrux."

A chorus of wizards and witches joined in agreement. And one elderly witch suggested that, since proof had been given that they should adjourn for the purpose of destroying the abomination at once.

"All in favour," Kinglsey asked, raising his gavel.

"Point of order," Arthur Weasley quickly called out. "Um," he cast a quick look behind him to where Hermione Granger was sitting and watch as she mouthed some words. "Um, Sorry, Minister. I must raise an objection as destruction of the . . . of Alphonse Elric will deprive me of an important witness."

Kingsley paused, forgetting that he was holding up the gavel. "Arthur, do you honestly plan on calling a Horocrux as a witness?"

"It isn't against the law," Arthur said weakly.

Ed tried to suppress a snicker as he heard Hermione Granger give a sigh. He didn't have to look back to know she was holding her head in her hands. He guessed that this was all Hermione's plan. And that Arthur Weasley had ruined it by acknowledging that Al was . . . like that locket. He glanced at Arthur. The man was trying not to smile. He shook his head, remembering the stories Ginny told him about Fred and George.

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked confused as he tried to think the matter through. "No," he said carefully, "It isn't. But that's because it's never come up before."

"Then we'll set a precedent," Arthur said as he recovered his composure. "And I should point out that the Horocrux in question has shown itself to be not hostile, having made no efforts to escape despite its, um, his magical abilities and great strength. He is therefore not a threat or a danger to the Wizengamot. Also, he has intelligence and is capable of speech. That qualifies him to be a witness."

Ed looked up, impressed. "You thought of that on your own?"

Arthur smiled. And Harry caused a ripple of laughter when by pointing out, "He is a Weasley, after all."

Kinglsley banged his gavel. "In view of the unusual circumstances surrounding this trial, destruction of the Horocrux known as Alphonse Elric will be delayed until after this trial's completion." He gave a cold look at Arthur. "Please continue with your defense."

Arthur nodded. "Mister Potter, you mentioned that Alphonse Elric showed you that he had no body. Did either he or his brother explain to you how this happened?"

"Ed told us that they were trying to play God. Although I did learn later from Ginny . . ."

Arthur interrupted. "We will be calling Ginevra Weasley as a witness at a later time. It would be best to hear such comments directly from her." ( Ed had to smile when he heard Harry whispered, "You make a very good lawyer.")

"Objection," a witch called out. "Ginevra Weasley cannot be considered as a witness as she has shown to have been corrupted by the influence of the Alchemist on trial."

"Madam Gulch," Arthur protested, "Ginevra Weasley may have been influenced, by Edward Elric, but I would not say she was corrupted. You may use that particular word only after this trial is over, and then only if the defendant is found guilty of any crime."

"That is true," Kinglsey Shacklebolt noted. "As the defendant has yet been found guilty, we must wait before we make accusations against anyone else. " He sighed, "Please continue, Arthur."

"I've only one more question," Arthur said. "Harry, do you know where the Elric brothers went when they left you?" He paused. "I think I should have asked that differently." He shrugged. "We know they didn't stay with you, so it should be fine."

Harry was smiling. "They did leave the next morning, at the same time that we changed camp. And I do know where we suggested they go. It was Hermione's idea. Godric Hollow. We told them about Bathilde Bagshot's house and that it might be empty. We did warn them that anywhere they went was chancy, and that they might prefer to hide out with muggles. Anyway, they didn't take our advice."

* * *

_"They were glad to get rid of us, Al. Did you see how fast they rushed us out of there?"_

_ The suit of armour followed as Ed walked through the forest toward the nearest town. "Brother, They're worried. That guy, Harry, has a curse on him and he has to do all those hard things. We'd be in the way."_

_ Ed started to get angry. He was the Fullmetal Alchemist. At the age of twelve, he became the youngest State Alchemist in the military. And that was only four years ago. He had survived . . . so much. He paused as he thought of all the things he had survived, some of them barely._

_ He remembered Barry the Chopper. A simple madman. A serial killer. No magic abilities. No supernatural powers. But he tricked Ed, and almost killed him. Because Ed had rushed in without thinking, without honestly knowing what he would be facing. And he almost died because of it. And if he had died, Winry would have died._

_ "Yeah, Al. You're right. We don't know enough."_

_ "Ed?"_

_ The alchemist looked up at his brother. "What?"_

_ "What are we going to do? These people might be able to help us. But they're involved in a big war. That's what it sounds like."_

_ Ed was thinking, now. It wasn't enough to hide. They could hide out among ordinary people. But these wizards kept themselves separate. So they would have to find a place close enough to the magic people yet it had to be safe._

_ "That place, Hogwarts," Ed told his brother. "That girl, Hermione, said it was the safest place."_

_ "But brother, Harry mentioned they were having problems there as well."_

_ "Maybe we can help. Maybe they can hide us. Al, it's either that or wander around. We're going to run into these people again, and they may not be nice next time. Probably won't. But they won't know we planned to meet them. It's our only edge."_

_ "But . . ." Al hesitated. "That means we have to go to London."_

_ "And find the King's Cross, whatever that is." Ed was smiling. "You want an adventure, Al?"_

_ There was humour in Al's voice. "You bet, brother."_

_ "Good. You can figure out how we get to London."_

* * *

As Harry Potter finished, a witch called out a question. It was the same witch that claimed Ginny had been corrupted. "Mister Potter, Zamira Gulch. I want to personally thank you for your efforts in the war, but I need to ask. Did the prisoner show any unusual signs or sensitivity while he was with you?"

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Did he ever, for example, show anger without any actual cause."

* * *

_"Al's your younger brother?" Harry asked. "But he's so much taller?_

_ "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? YOU MEAN I'M SO SMALL YOU'D TRIP OVER ME LIKE I WAS SOME ROCK IF YOU WEREN'T LOOKING AT ME?"_

_ "Ed, he didn't mean it that way."_

_ "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, AL."_

* * *

_ "Sixteen?" Hermione said in surprise. "But you're so . . . "_

_ "SO . . . WHAT? I'M SO SHORT YOU'D MISTAKE ME FOR A GRAIN OF RICE IF I WORE A WHITE SHIRT? SO SMALL YOU'D NEED A MICROSCOPE TO SEE ME?"_

_ "Ed, she didn't mean it that way."_

_ "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, AL."_

* * *

_"You shouldn't be so sensitive about your height."_

_ "Listen, Lady. Height isn't everything. You have no right to . . ."_

_ Hermione snarled. "I'm not trying to ANYTHING. Just because you're short . . ."_

_ "I'M NOT SHORT!"_

_ "Yes, you are, brother."_

_ "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, AL."_

* * *

Harry thought for a moment. "No, nothing."

Zamira Gulch nodded. "I was curious. He is very small for his age."

Ed could feel everyone looking at him. But he knew he had to say something.

"It's the way I am, lady. I'd rather be short than dead." The few people who knew him was surprised by the comment. It was said in such a calm voice.

Arthur cleared his throat as Harry Potter left the stands. "As you know, Minister, the Elric brothers did not take Mister Potter's advice. Instead, they came to London. If you like, we could ask Edward, although it appears they used muggle means."

Kingsley waved his hand in a careless gesture. "The prisoner isn't going anywhere. We can ask him later, if anyone feels it might be important."

"Could have used the time to contact You-Know-Who," a wizard behind Kingsley said.

"Could have been doing laundry," Ed muttered.

Kingsley banged his gavel. "Just call the next witness."

"Xenophilius Lovegood."

A middle-aged wizard with long fluffy white hair stood up. He was dressed formally but in a manner that he would still have fit in at a Halloween party.

"Please state your name."

"Certainly, Arthur. Xenophilius Lovegood."

"Please tell the Wizengamot, in your own words, when and where you met the accused."

"Near the Ministry of Magic. Not that they knew where they were, of course. He and his brother were hopelessly lost."

* * *

_They had released him. For that, Xenophilius was grateful. But they still would not tell him anything about his daughter._

_ He looked up as he heard laughter. He thought it might be muggles laughing at him for limping along the sidewalk. But he was wrong. Walking toward him was a small blond boy wearing a well worn red cloak. Walking next to him was a seven foot tall suit of armour. They weren't even trying to fit in._

_ Xenophilius performed a small charm, not that he dared do much more, but it was enough for people to not pay attention. "You should be more careful," he said as they walked past. As they stopped, he suddenly had a fear. They were one of THEM. The new order, no longer bothering to hide themselves any longer. But . . . they could not be that strong yet. Could they?_

_ "Brother?" The armoured man said, but he sounded young._

_ The boy's eyes lit up. "Are you one of them? A wizard, I mean. You guys are sure hard to find if you don't know your way around."_

_ "I won't cause any trouble."_

_ The boy's eyes changed in an instant. To concern. "Are you . . . can we help you?"_

_ "I have to be careful. If you're not with them, you should be, too. And you should not go that way."_

_ "We're looking for something. This guy, Harry, told us about . . ."_

_ Xenophilius made a decision. These two clearly needed help. And he could redeem himself. "Do you mean Potter? We can't talk here. Too risky. Can you apparate?"_

_ He grabbed each of them by an arm and took a curious step. They were outside his home, or what was left of it._

_ "Looks like the war hit here, too," the blond boy said. "Where are we?"_

_ The question was casual and menacing at the same time._

_ "Do you know what you are capable of, boy? I preached loyalty to Harry Potter. Then they kidnaped my daughter. What was I to do? I tried to betray him. But you are his friends. If I help you . . . I help him."_

_ "You could betray us as well," the boy said. He was becoming wary._

_ "Yes."_

_ "Will you at least give us a warning?"_

_ Xenophilius stared. "You trust me?"_

_ "Yeah, you just told us we couldn't. Only an honest man would do that." The boy looked at the man with a twinkle in his eye. "How about we fix this place up, first." Then the boy clapped his hands together._

* * *

"It was the most amazing thing I ever saw," Xenophilius Lovegood explained. "As I watched, the tower that was my house reformed itself. I went inside, and everything was as it used to be. Even the food was back on the table as I had left it. And as fresh as if I had left it there only minutes before. Edward Elric had restored my home to exactly how it was the moment before it was destroyed."

"And what happened then?" Arthur asked.

"Well, Ed introduced himself and his brother. They wanted to go to Hogwarts." He laughed. "They thought King's Cross was some kind of portkey that would take them there. I told them it was a train station." He became serious. "I also told them my daughter was at Hogwarts when she was taken. I talked them into staying with me. And I did introduce them to the neighbors. Your wife and daughter, I mean."

Kingsley Shacklebolt interrupted. "Do you mean to say that you were the one who introduced Edward Elric to Ginny Weasley?"

"And to Molly."

"Continue," Kingsley told Arthur.

"Thank you, Xenophilius." As Lovegood left, Kingsley told Arthut not to call his next witness.

Kingsley banged his gavel. "This court is recessed until tomorrow morning."


	3. Day Two: Morning

A/N: This is a short chapter, I know, (only 2000 words according to my counter) but sometimes the best stopping point comes too early to make a long chapter. I'll try to do better the next time.

One thing I should note, there are currently three versions of the Fullmetal Alchemist story. The first is the manga, of which I've only read the first few books. The second version is the original anime from which the events referred to in this story are taken. As most Fullmetal fans already know, there is a new anime version, again with a different story line. This version is called "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood."

Good reading to all of you

Day Two: Morning

With little fanfare, Edward Elric was led into the chamber and was chained to his chair. Every seat was filled, as far as he could see. As the last chain was locked in place, Arthur Weasley stepped forward and gave Ed a reassuring squeeze. Then he unreassuringly whispered, "Wish me luck."

The gavel banged, and everyone looked up as Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, made his announcement.

"The Wizengamot will come to order. We are here today to continue the trial of Edward Elric who has been accused by this body of the following: Use of the Dark Arts; Possession of Dark Materials; Subversion; Murder. Arthur Weasley is recognized as Defense Council for the accused. Mister Weasley, please call your next witness."

"Certainly, Kingsley."

"ARTHUR!"

"My apologies. Certainly, Minister. We call Ginevra Weasley."

A tall girl with auburn hair walked up to the witness stand, a smile on her face.

"Please, state your name for the records," her father said.

"Certainly, Counselor." She paused as her father glared at her, then resumed when it changed to a laughing smile. "My full name is Ginevra Molly Weasley, but I prefer to be called Ginny."

"Please tell us how you met the Elric brothers."

"It was near the end of the Christmas holiday," Ginny explained. "There's a spot on our property that we can see the Lovegood house, that is we could until the explosion which caused it to collapse. Mum nearly died of fright when she heard that noise."

Arthur interrupted. "I only wish to note that the explosion in question occurred during an attempted arrest of Harry Potter, which Xenophilius Lovegood arranged, out of necessity. In testimony by Mister Potter . . ."

Kingsley interrupted. "We do remember, Council. Lovegood revealed the facts and the reason, his kidnaped daughter, and even suggested being oblivated so he could not reveal anything. Please continue."

Ginny nodded. "A few days later, I saw the house, even though it had been destroyed. I didn't see it at first. At first I saw a glow in the direction of the Lovegood house. Then I saw the tower rise up in pieces and reform itself. I had to find out what happened Mum warned me about leaving the property, but I was curious." She looked over at her father. "I did make it a point to be extremely careful."

"And you expect anyone to believe that?" a voice said from the viewing stands.

"Molly," pleaded Arthur.

"She gets it from your side if the family."

The gavel banged. Kingsley tried to keep the amusement out of his voice. "I must demand silence from all those in this courtroom who do not have authorization from the Wizengamot to speak."

Molly gave out a "hrrumph" and was quiet.

Ginny, blushing fiercely, continued. "I borrowed one of the brooms the next morning . . ."

"Against my orders."

"MOLLY!" The fact that Arthur and Kingsley shouted at the same time cause a roar of laughter throughout the chamber.

"Molly Weasley," Kingsley said sternly. "Another outburst, one more word, and I will have you removed from this chamber." With great skill he managed to stare Molly down, then motioned for Arthur to continue.

"Ginny, go ahead."

"Thank you, Daddy. I borrowed a broom . . . and being as careful as I could . . . I flew over to see what had happened . . ."

* * *

_Ginny paused in her flight as she neared the tower. Below her and ahead was a truly odd scene. Mister Lovegood was sitting by the front door, laughing and applauding as the two figures before him fought each other. One was a tall man in armour. The other was a blond boy as short as her classmate, Colin Creevey. Despite the cold, he had his shirt off. She held her breath as she saw his right arm. It was made of metal._

_The boy attacked the man, swinging his metal arm to strike. The man parried the blow and knocked the boy backward. The boy stretched himself as he fell and ended up doing a handstand, then flipping himself back to his feet. That was when she saw his long hair, tied in an intricate braid. In an instant, he was on the attack, again. This time, he feigned the same move but pulled short, twisted into a controlled fall and kicked out with his left foot. The armoured man staggered backward._

_As she slowly moved closer, the giant man moved forward again. The boy moved as well. The man tried to punch the boy, who ducked under his hand. He started to punch the man but an arm suddenly dropped down and grabbed the boy._

_Suddenly, the boy was flying through the air, thrown by the giant. Ginny stared as she realized the boy was laughing. At the same time, the boy noticed her. She realized something else. He was coming straight at her. They collided and fell, but the boy twisted in the air and made sure he landed on his feet. With amazing skill, he stood there. Ginny was cradled in his arms._

_"Brother?" The giant called out. His voice seemed young._

_"We're OK, Al." He looked at Ginny. "You aren't hurt are you?"_

_"Surprised," she admitted as the boy set her on her feet._

_"My dear, my dear," Xenophilius Lovegood called out as he ran over. "We never saw you." In a thrice, he introduced Ed and Al, insisted they all go inside for hot chocolate, and bemoaned the fact that her broom was broken._

_Al said he would take care of it, and Ed laughed. Mister Lovegood told Ginny to watch. She was going to get a first hand view of Alchemy. She watched as Al drew what Ed said was a transmutation circle, then placed the broken broom inside it. Al knelt and placed his hands on the edge of the circle, which began to glow._

_"I saw that glow. Yesterday. When I was looking at your house."_

_Xenophilius was beside himself. "You saw that? It was amazing. The entire house was restored exactly as it was. Even the dirty dishes were still dirty."_

_The glow faded and Al said the broom was as good as new. Ginny stared. It was as good as new. The old scars and dents from years of use were gone. The wood showed with a fine polish that it hadn't had since the day it was made._

_"How did you do that?" Ginny asked. She wasn't asking in surprise. She honestly wanted to know. And her look told everyone that her next question would be how could she do that._

_Over a cup of tea, Ed explained what a transmutation circle was. He also explained the basic principles of Alchemy. After hearing the first law of alchemy, Ginny put her hand on Ed's now gloved metal hand._

_"I want to learn alchemy."_

_"I thought you were going to ask about my hand."_

_"Later. Alchemy is more interesting."_

_"OK," Ed told her, a wide grin on his face._

_"Brother?" Al asked him with amusement._

_"Right. I almost forgot. Lesson one. What is the one and the all? You get lesson two when you tell me the answer."_

_"WHAT?"_

_"That's was our first lesson," Ed told her, his grin not lessening. "Our teacher stuck us on an island with no food or shelter and told us we had a month to figure it out. We don't have an island handy, so you're in luck."_

_"But, I have to go back to school tomorrow."_

_Al commented that they couldn't teach her anything today, anyway. He and Ed agreed that if she had the answer by the time she came back from school (Ginny said it would be in March) they would teach her._

_Ginny agreed, having no choice anyway, then asked about Ed's arm._

_Ed's smile became grim. "I got this by trying to play God." And that was the end of the visit._

_"I'm sure Luna is fine, Mister Lovegood," Ginny was saying as she prepared to leave. She still had her mother to face._

_"I hope. It is all I can do. And I keep my ears open."_

_"And if he hears anything," Ed confided, "Some nasty wizards are going to find out what two angry alchemist can do. We owe Xeno a favor for taking us in." He held his finger to his lips to let her know they were supposed to be in hiding._

_Ginny laughed at how serious he sounded. "We could use you at Hogwarts if you're that good.."_

_"Call us if you need us," Ed told her. "We'll be there with bells on."_

_"Large bells," Al told her._

_Mister Lovegood laughed. "If you hear a gong at your door, you know who it is."_

_Ginny flew home with a smile, ready to face her punishment. She arrived faster than she expected because the broom not only look brand new, it acted that way as well._

* * *

Several wizards and witches tried to speak at once. They were trying to ask the same question. What was the meaning of the riddle? Ginny smiled, admitting that she figured it out. With the help of Professor Slughorn.

* * *

_Ginny watched as Professor Slughorn, the Potions Professor, approached Colin Creevey. Colin's cauldron was giving off a sickly purplish mist instead of a healthy pink._

_"Someone forgot to include asphodel at the proper time." He then went into his lecture mode. "It isn't enough to put in the ingredients. They have to be added in a specific order. Otherwise, they won't come together in the proper manner. Each ingredient is important, but how they are used affects the whole mixture."_

_"That's it," Ginny shouted as she suddenly made the connection between the Professor's words and Ed's question. As everyone looked at her, Slughorn asked her to clarify her statement. Ginny was too excited to note the disapproval in his voice._

_"The asphodel is only one ingredient of all the ingredients in the potion. And the potion is the . . . all." She smiled infectiously. "It's simple, really. There's no one like me. I am distinct from everyone else. I am the one. But I'm also a part of the greater whole, of the entire world. Without me, the world would still be there but it would not be the same. By being part of the world, I affect it." She looked at the professor with pride. "I am the one. The world is the all."_

_Slughorn smiled. "Philosophy and Potion. An interesting combination."_

* * *

She was still smiling when one of the witches said, "Well, young lady. What is the answer?"

"Don't bother demanding she answer," Arthur Weasley said to the grumbles and remarks about an impertinent child. "It will only cause her to smile more."

"She gave the right answer, though," Ed called out. He was smiling as well. "And I'll teach Alchemy to anyone who can answer that question."

"How Dare You." It was Madam Gulch again. "To offer to teach the Dark Arts in this chamber." Several voices supported her statement.

Ed understood. The Weasleys may be amusing and they may find a sympathetic crowd but the majority of the Wizengamot thought Alchemy an abomination. The problem was that understanding made Ed angry.

"Be Thou For The People," He shouted. Kingsley Shacklebolt was already banging his gavel. "That's the motto for the State Alchemists." He timed his words to coincide with the gavel. "BE . . . THOU . . . FOR . . . THE . . . PEOPLE."

"With all due respects, Minister, Arthur." It was Amos Diggory. "I would ask the prisoner to explain his remarks. In particular, what is a State Alchemist."

Ed sneered. "It means I'm a dog of the military." The sneer faded as he noticed the faces. Wizards and Witches did not have a military. They had Aurors, which were more like a constabulary. But they knew about War from reading about muggles. He answered the next question before it was asked. "I was twelve when I joined."

"Is that the norm?" Diggory asked.

"Naw. I'm something of a prodigy. Youngest State Alchemist ever." Ed's smile became somber as he recalled how often in the past he said the next line with pride. "That's me. Edward Elric. The Fullmetal Alchemist." As he said it, he realized it was the first time he had ever used his moniker in this world.

Someone laughed. A woman, Asian by her looks. She apologized at once.

"I am sorry to laugh, but my father is Japanese and I grew up there until I was eight." She was smiling politely at Ed. "In our language, Fullmetal is an idiom. It means to be stubborn."

It was Ginny who said it. "I guess they have Japanese in his world, too."

Ed fumed. He was dogged, determined, and other words that didn't necessarily begin with the letter D, but he was not stubborn.


	4. Day Two: Afternoon

A/N: I often wonder where I'm going in life and why am I in this handbasket. Yes, I'm in one of those moods again. This is the one where I question reality. Like showering. Why do we use shampoo and would we really want to use realpoo? Yes, I know. I'm letting my mind wander. At least it's big enough to be out by itself. On the other hand, you have different fingers. And you should know that therapy is expensive but bubble wrap is cheap.

On a serious note, the minor spelling error in the previous chapter has been corrected. For those who want more details, please check the reviews.

Thanks to all for reading. Here's hoping to hear from you.

Day Two: Afternoon

Ed had the honor of company while he ate his lunch. Arthur Weasley. And his newly appointed legal assistant, Hermione Granger.

"Hermione's been wonderful. But for her, I would never have known that the Ministry was required to buy my meals while I represented you." His smile faded as he looked at his free lunch. "I only wish it was my choice of what to eat."

"It is if you eat in the dining hall," Hermione pointed out, "but we get the prisoner meal since we're meeting with Ed."

Arthur grinned at Edward. "It's settled, then. We'll drag this thing out for one more day. Do you mind eating alone tomorrow?" He grabbed Hermione's hand as she went to rub her forehead. "I was joking. But with all that's left to do, we will be here all day tomorrow. And probably the next day to some degree."

"I don't mean to criticize, COUNSELOR, but if you had followed my advice, we would be near the end."

"Very apt words," Arthur said. "The end, indeed. They'd have destroyed Al and Ed would be on his way to Azkaban. You heard them when Ed made his little joke about teaching."

Hermione nodded. "I would have lost. The arguments looked good on paper . . ."

"But we're dealing with opinions," Arthur pointed out. "I talked to a very smart man and you know what he said? Asking me to defend Ed was the only good part of your plan. Everything else would have come across as lies."

"Trying to explain that Alphonse is not a Horcrux is not a lie."

Arthur held up a finger. "Hermione, did you ever hear the phrase: a rose by any other name . . ."

"Yeah," Ed answered, looking at Hermione. "They all think Al is a Horcrux and should be destroyed. If you tell them he's really a thingamabob, they'll all say Al is a thingamabob and should be destroyed." He turned to Arthur. "So what's your plan?"

Arthur smiled, "George suggested this to me. I'm going to have Ginny give evidence proving what I've just said about Al and that you have, in fact, practiced Dark Magic."

Hermione was amazed. "But . . . how is that . . . From before he came here?"

"Mister A?" Ed was smiling. "I don't know where this is heading, but it's been a wonderful ride. Regardless of what happens, Thanks."

"Nonsense. I can guarantee you'll be acquitted on the murder charge. That should be at least ten years off your life sentence."

* * *

Kingsley Shacklebolt banged his gavel and called the court to order. Arthur had his daughter, Ginny, take the stand again. He then asked her to relate the events.

Ginny began by telling how she arrived home and convinced both her parents to let her visit the Lovegood house. She left out the part about Molly insisting it was too dangerous. And the part about where she pointed out the family clock to her mother. It showed them to be in mortal danger even though they were safely in the Burrow. She included the part where she led them outside to the spot where they could see the tower of the Lovegood house. She also included the part where she would try to talk them into visiting the Burrow . . . at least once.

"After all, they had been staying there for the past ten weeks. They would have shown themselves to be dangerous by now." Ginny also did not tell them the part about being spotted.

* * *

_"Get in, quickly, child." Xenophilius Lovegood was upset. "I should have known to expect this. I mean I did, but not this early. I thought your vacation was next week?"_

_ Ginny was pulled inside, broom and all. Ed and Al were standing there, waiting._

_ "Spotter will be here shortly. You know the plan, Al."_

_ "Be very quiet," Al told Ginny. He walked to a bare spot of wall and stood against it. He opened his armour breast plate and motioned Ginny to climb inside. Ginny looked at the empty interior and asked, "Al?"_

_ "Yeah?"_

_ "You are going to explain this to me. Later." She climbed in and Al closed his breast plate. Ginny knew he was standing against the wall as though he was only an empty suite of armour. On the other hand, he WAS an empty suite of armour. On a good note, she was tall enough that she could see what was going on by looking through the gap where the shoulder plate joined the body armour._

_ The door was forced open. Two men barged in, demanding to know who the visitor was. Ed was standing there, holding something in his hand._

_ "Just the delivery boy, guys. Special order." He held up what he was holding. It looked like some kind of horn. "Only three known in existence. The nose horn of the Snorkack. Are these your colleagues, Mister . . ." Ed looked at a piece of paper, "Lovegood."_

_ "We'll take that," one of the intruders said. He grabbed the piece of paper and looked at it while his partner grabbed the horn. "If this checks out, you're free to go. Until then, you can stay here." He added in a sneering voice, "as Lovegood's guest."_

_ The two men disappeared. As they did, a flash of blue light was seen, accompanied by a hollow burping sound._

_ "What was that?" Ed asked._

_ "If I had to make an educated guess, I think the Erumpent horn exploded during the apparation. I may have to write a story about that for the Quibbler. Although . . . I think it would be best if we all left as quickly as possible."_

_ Mister Lovegood opened the door and walked out as a flying suitcase chased after him. Ed waved to Al and walked out as well. Al, assuring her she would be safer where she was, walked out the door with Ginny still inside him._

* * *

"They told me that my timing was excellent. Circumstances demanded they leave at once." Ginny paused. "I knew it was short notice, but I invited them to the Burrow. I thought Dad would know what to do. I didn't even think that they might stay with us. Not that I was upset."

A female spectator said, "Hrummph."

Arthur turned around and gave his wife a reproving look.

"Did Edward Elric teach you basic Alchemy?" Arthur asked.

"He did," Ginny answered. "And he was a very good teacher."

Kingsley asked his own question. "What were the nature of the things he taught you to do?"

"Mostly repairing things. That was easy. I just had to concentrate on putting things back together. It wasn't as quick as the Repairo spell, but it did permit me to make some changes, like making an old pot into a new pot. I was beginning to learn to shape objects from their basic components when our lessons were forced to end. We had heard from Harry Potter."

"He simply taught you spells?"

Ginny shook her head. "It wasn't only spells. Alchemy is a philosophy as well as a skill. The more you understand how the world works and why certain things happen certain ways, the better you are at transmutation."

"Teaching the Dark Arts," Madam Gulch said triumphantly. "And, young lady, did he discuss with you any of his dark experiments?"

"No," Ginny answered slowly.

"But someone did?" Arthur Weasley suggested. "Was it Alphonse Elric?"

Ginny nodded her head. She took a deep breath and began.

* * *

_"We're in a right fix," Ginny told Alphonse as they sat under the trees near the back door. Ed had declared her lesson finished and was taking the now brand new dishes back to the kitchen. Ginny was gaining practice by transmuting old stuff from the kitchen into brand-new plates and cups and whatever without the telltale chips and nicks. Molly strongly approved of the lessons, so far. And she would continue to approve as long as she saw they were practical._

_ "Do you mean the Alchemy?" Al asked. "Or the other things."_

_ "Did Harry tell you what he was doing? About what he's hunting. I'm not supposed to know. But . . ."_

_ Al tried to explain that they saw what he was doing. Then he had to explain how. It was easier than he thought. Ginny was a good listener. She was easy to talk to. But now she was staring._

_ "You saw his soul? And there were two of them?"_

_ Al knew what she meant. He hadn't thought about it, but Harry was like the locket. He was also a Horcrux. One of those things that Ginny said Harry and her brother were hunting. As he looked at her, he saw her start to cry._

_ "Please. Don't do that." Al started talking fast. "You told me how he's the Chosen One. That he's going to face that wizard."_

_ "And he's going to die."_

_ "Or . . ." Al said carefully. "Part of him is."_

_ It worked. Ginny looked up. "Part?"_

_ "Yeah." Al hoped he had his facts straight about magic. "Harry probably knows about it. When he faces that evil wizard, he'll probably let the wizard kill him. Except it'll be the Horcrux part. The wizard will end up killing himself. Harry'll figure it out. He's pretty smart."_

_ Ginny tried to smile as she wiped her eyes. "No. Not really. But Hermione is. She'll explain it to him."_

_ Despite his body being made of iron, Al found Ginny leaning against him. She wiped her eyes again as she thanked him for what he said. They sat that way for a while, watching the occasional flashes from the kitchen as Ed helped Molly restore things. The things she didn't want to trust her daughter with._

_ "Al?"_

_ Ginny didn't have to say anything else. He knew the question._

_ "Our mother died. She was sick for a long time but she never said anything. That's why we learned Alchemy. We were going to bring her back. We were going to do a human transmutation." He paused. "Something went wrong. I woke up in this suite of armor. Ed was lying on the floor, his right arm and left leg were missing."_

_ It was only a few sentences, but it said so much._

_ "How long had it been?"_

_ "Five years. Maybe Six."_

* * *

Ed listened as Ginny related what Al had said. As she spoke, his own memories filled his head.

* * *

_"You're not chickening out on me?" Ed asked his younger brother, anger in his voice. "We both agreed to do this."_

_ "N-No," Al stuttered._

_ "Then let's do this."_

_ Ed smiled. Al relaxed and gave a smile of his own. They were ready._

_ "Now."_

_ Both boys put their hands on the edge of the transmutation circle and applied all their will. Ed's smile became a grin as the powers of Alchemy swirled about them. A vortex was forming. Everything was working perfectly._

_ A loud boom. Ed dismissed it at first. Lightning from the storm outside. Another boom, this one distinctly in the room. And a flash of light from the vortex, a strange colored light. And a smell. The smell of fear. The glorious colors were now dark and sinister. The storm inside was stronger than the storm outside._

_ Ed felt it. A tingling in his left leg. He turned to look. Quietly and quickly, his entire leg was disappearing. Then Al shouted. He turned quickly. Al's clothes were lying on the floor but Al was now gone. He looked into the vortex and saw a ghostly shape. All that was left of his brother._

_ "AL. Noooooooooooooo."_

_ The light hit him. He had described it once to his former teacher. It was as though someone was sticking knowledge directly into his brain. He suddenly knew things he had not known only moments before. And one of those things was . . ._

_ Ed dragged himself over to the suit of armor. He wiped his right hand on the stump of his leg, using his own blood to draw a transmutation circle. Then he put all of his will._

_ "Work, Damn you!"_

_ As Ed watched, the circle began to glow. It would seal Al's soul to the body of armor so that it would not be permanently lost. And as it glowed, so did his right arm._

_ It was as though a thousand red-hot knives were cutting out tiny pieces of his flesh. Each cut hurt and did not diminish even as more and more cuts were made and his arm dissolved that much more. Only after the arm was gone was Ed able to pass out._

* * *

"To attempt human transmutation," Ginny explained, "is forbidden."

Kingsley nodded solemnly. "Then such an act is comparable to using one of the Unforgivable Curses."

Ginny nodded. "Minister, on their behalf I'd like to point out that Al was only ten years old when it happened. And Ed was only eleven."

Ed noticed the wizards and witches looking at him. "If you remove the glove from my right hand, you'll notice it's made of metal. The same is true of my left leg. That's how much it cost me. And you all know what it cost my brother."

Kingsley nodded his head. "Let the record show that the Elric brothers were minors when these events occurred, nor where they under proper supervision."

The members of the Wizengamot were whispering amongst themselves. Madam Gulch, whose whisper appeared to be standard speaking volume, was heard to say, "barely even old enough for Hogwarts."

It was then that Ed understood what had happened. Arthur Weasley had presented them with an emotional situation. Young orphans, driven by grief, had performed those acts. It might be enough, it probably would be enough to convince the Wizengamot to find him not guilty.

But all of that did nothing to help Al.

His thoughts were interrupted by Arthur Weasley's next question to Ginny. "Did either of the Elric brothers tell you of any other, um, actions they took?"

Ginny was standing there, looking at the floor. She seemed afraid to speak. Ed knew what she was thinking. What she was remembering. Finally, she began to tell them of that night.

* * *

_ "Yeah, Al, the magic they can do is pretty impressive, but I'll stick with good old Alchemy."_

_ Al laughed. "Brother, at least you can use those wands."_

_ "Only with my left hand. I guess automail and magic don't mix too well."_

_ "You should make the effort. You'd make an excellent wizard if you practiced."_

_ Molly Weasley suddenly ran out of the house. "There's no time to explain. We need to leave, quickly." As they rushed toward the house, she explained that they had a portkey. Ed nodded. An automatic transfer device made to look like a common item._

_ As they neared the door, Arthur was there. He was looking not at them but past them. Ed turned to look. A half dozen men with wands had suddenly appeared. None of them looked friendly. He didn't hesitate. He clapped his hands as he fell to the ground._

_ As the men shot curses from their wands, a wall suddenly sprang up between them and their targets. Ed shouted to Molly and Arthur to get going. They would hold them off. He caught a glimpse of Ginny and mouthed, "see you at Hogwarts."_

_ "ED," Al shouted as he jumped in front of his brother. The wall that alchemy made was blown to pieces. With Al giving him cover, Ed clapped his hands again, completing the alchemical circle, he then put both hands on the ground._

_ It was as though lightning was traveling through the ground. It erupted under all six men before any had a chance to react. The ground exploded and all of them were sent flying._

_ A final curse came at them. It struck Ed's automail arm. The arm exploded._

_ A hand grasped Ed's shoulder. It was Arthur. Ed smiled. "The rest of me is fine."_

_ "Well, I think we now have time to take you with us."_

_ They gathered in the family room, Ed and Al, Xeno Lovegood, Arthur, Molly and Ginny and another man, obviously a Weasley, who was holding an old jump rope. Once everyone grabbed hold, the portkey transported them to a safer place._

* * *

"It was amazing, Dad can tell you," Ginny added. Her smile faded. "I didn't know until later that two of them had died."

The council members were brooding again when Arthur asked his next question. "Did Edward Elric tell you, in his own world, he was a member of the military?"

"Yeah, he said he held the rank of Major, but that no one paid any attention to it because of his age."

"For the record," Ed spoke, "All State Alchemist are given the rank of Major."

"I am curious, Arthur," Kingsley Shacklebolt said. "How much time elapsed between finding out you had to leave and actually using the portkey?"

Arthur was now hanging his head. "Not even five minutes."

As Ginny left the witness box, Kingsley signaled that Arthur should continue. The next witness was called. Luna Lovegood.

Luna walked up, giving Ed a friendly smile and a small wave.

"Miss Lovegood, please relate the events that occurred at your first meeting with the Elric brothers."

"That would be right after Daddy told me he had company. He had been hiding at . . . a friend's house. And I was finally well enough to travel. It was exciting. I saw at once that Al was hollow . . ."

* * *

_"And this is Edward, dearest. He's an alchemist."_

_ "And he only has one arm?"_

_ Ed smiled at the abruptness. Like father, like daughter. "I had two but one is broken." He lifted his red cloak off his shoulder to reveal the metal stump. "I know I should be more careful, Win . . ., uh Luna."_

_ "Is Wina a compliment in your language?"_

_ "Um, no, I started to call you by someone else's name. Someone you remind me off."_

_ "She must be nice." Luna smiled at the thought that someone looked like her. "Your arm is metal. Can't you repair it?"_

_ "I could, but I don't have all the parts. And I'm not very good with automail."_

_ Luna came closer to examine his arm. As she ran her hand along the broken edge, she mused that if she knew how it worked it would be no problem for her. Then she looked at Al and asked him if he was automail. She turned back to Ed when Al mentioned his leg._

_ Luna didn't even notice Ed's embarrassment as he stood there in his boxers. All she did was wave her wand up and down his leg. She was beaming when she looked up._

_ "No wonder it works around magic. It's only gears and levers and those wires that plug into your leg." She giggled. "The wires are like metal nerves."_

_ "Yeah," Ed admitted. "Those wires are hooked directly into my nervous system. The leg works just like a regular leg. And it comes in handy in a fight."_

_ "So amazing and yet so simple," Xeno said to his daughter. "Do you honestly think you can fix his arm.?"_

_ Luna shrugged. "I can try. My friend, Hermione, tried to explain sympathetic magic to me once. I guess I should have payed more attention. But I know how it works, so I should know how to repair it."_

_ She waited while Ed and Al debated on whether or not to trust her. In the end, Ed agreed. They both admitted to her that they had nothing to lose. Xeno reminded them that, once things settled down, he could get a magical arm to replace it. Either way, it would not be a permanent loss._

_ Ed removed the broken arm and handed it to Luna. She put it on the table and waved her wand _

_ "REDIVIVIUS."_

_ She smiled as the metal arm glowed with a golden hue. Ed and Al watched with her as the glow took the shape of the missing parts. When it faded, a complete automail arm was sitting there._

_ Luna smiled as she handed the arm back to Ed, then frowned as he said he should find somewhere out of the way to put it on. He walked into the other room, Al following, and closed the door. A few minutes later, she heard Ed shout in pain._

* * *

"When Al came out of the room, he said it appeared to be working. When I asked about the shout, he told me that the nerves were reattaching themselves. That Ed would be fine in a few hours." She wiped her cheek and smiled. "Al was right." There was pride in her voice when she added, "and the arm worked perfectly. I even enlarged his arm and leg later, because he had grown since he had them made."

Arthur Weasley smiled. He had everyone's attention. They learned the how and why of his automail and that it was not affected by magic. But now he was going to reveal something that did not mean much, but it might mean the world.

"Luna, could you tell us exactly what Edward Elric said to you when he came out of the room."

"He was flexing his arm. I also noticed that he was covered in sweat. What he said was, 'Winry, you're the best.' That's the name of the girl I look like. The one who made his arm."

* * *

_"Ed, you are so careless," Winry said as she adjusted the screw on his shoulder. "You're lucky I'm here to take care of you."_

_ Ed laughed. "You know you're the best automail mechanic there is."_

_ Someone nearby cleared her throat. "You're forgetting who taught her everything she knows, pipsqueak."_

_ Ed eyed Winry's grandmother carefully. Pinako Rockbell was probably the only adult smaller than he was. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT, YOU MIDGET WORM?"_

_ Pinako turned around smiling and walked away. "Yeah, he's fine. Good job, Winry."_

_ Ed was smiling, too. He looked up. "Winry, you're the best."_

* * *

Luna added that there were several people that Ed had met that looked familiar. Not exactly the same, but very close. Ed could see that everyone was curious about the lookalikes but Luna stopped talking. She had finished her testimony.

When Kingsley Shacklebolt saw that Luna Lovegood was going to be dismissed as a witness, he raised his gavel.

"As it is convenient for the Wizengamot, this session is over. We will reconvene, tomorrow morning."

He banged his gavel.

* * *

"I was right," Hermione said as she walked up to Arthur.

Arthur beamed at her. "That is wonderful news. Did you talk to him?"

"I'll be meeting him tomorrow, but not until the afternoon."

"Ed," Arthur called as the boy was being led away. "We should have everything worked out, day after tomorrow."

"Did Luna testify?" Hermione asked as they walked away. He heard Arthur mention Winry and saw Hermione's smile grow in response.

Ed watched them leave from his cell. They had mentioned talking to someone. Arthur deliberate has Luna tell them about the dopplegangers. And then Arthur said it would all be worked out. He wondered exactly what everything entailed.


	5. Day Three: Morning

A/N: Delays, Delays. Just when everything is going smoothly, life gets in the way. The problem with checking your work is when you discover mistakes. The other problem is if you let the readers discover them but that is something I try to avoid. And I am posting this chapter today, not because I have finally finished writing it, or my ego says enough time has passed, or my horoscope says I should post it on the third day after the quaffle moon. I am posting this chapter today because I have a bad head cold, I am stuck at home, and I finally had time to proofread the darned thing. That and drink three cups of tea, so far, and swallow four orange pills that promise to stop my nose from drooling. (They work, by the way.)

Now that you know more about my personal hygiene than you ever wanted, here is the fifth chapter. More to follow.

Day Three: Morning

Kingsley Shacklebolt called the Wizengamot to order. "It has come to the attention of this body that the majority, if not all of the events related to us occurred while the prisoner was a minor. Although evidence has been presented that the prisoner is recognized as an adult in his own country, we must ask the defense council if he wishes the charges to be dismissed on these grounds."

Arthur looked at Kingsley. His face took on a rare look of serious concern. "I would love to make that claim, Minister, for the boy's sake. But his is not the only life in the balance, here."

"The Horcrux is not on trial," one wizard shouted out, angrily. He received several comments of support.

"With all due respect to the Wizengamot, the soul of Alphonse Elric is to be destroyed at the conclusion of this trial. I must take that fact into consideration."

Kingsley and Arthur glared at each other. Kingsley took a deep breath. "Unless the Council for the Defense has concluded his presentation, he is ordered to summon his next witness."

The anger faded from Arthur's face to be replaced by a smugness. "The Defense calls Alphonse Elric."

Ed took the time to look at the faces of the wizards and witches. He remembered the harsh looks of anger when it was first suggested that his brother be destroyed. Many of the faces had the same look, but more than a few now were curious. They had heard the stories of Voldemort's snake. But now, for most of them, they were to meet for the first time an inanimate Horcrux that was capable of movement and reason.

"Brother!"

Ed looked over. Al was being led into the chamber. A half dozen wizards surrounded him with wands drawn. Not that they were needed. Al's body was wrapped in ensorcelled chains, pinning his arms to his side. Similar chains around his legs kept his movement at half the rate of a normal man walking. Cheerfully following them was a familiar face, Dennis Creevey, who took an empty seat next to Hermione Granger. They began an animated discussion.

"Hey, Al." Ed greeted his brother as Alphonse entered the witness box.

Al sounded serious. "Don't worry, Ed. We'll make sure they find you innocent."

Ed's face showed he understood. Al knew what was going to happen. Ed's unspoken thoughts did not show. _If they destroy you, they're going to find out exactly how INNOCENT an alchemist can be._

"Please state your name," Arthur said.

"Alphonse Elric."

"And your age?"

"Sixteen, I think. I not sure exactly when my birthday is. By your calender, that is."

"Minister," a witch protested. "This witness is an insult to the Wizengamot. It should be dismissed."

Kingsley banged his gavel. "It was agreed earlier in this hearing that the Horcrux could be called as a witness. All objections are therefore overruled."

Arthur gave a nod of thanks and continued. "We have heard the events so far up to the time that Harry Potter came out of hiding to confront the Dark Lord. Alphonse Elric is the best witness to those events."

"And it will say exactly what its master wants it to say!" shouted a wizard. There was loud applause to his remark.

Another witch, well dressed, called out, "Surely, Minister, we are not expected to listen to its words as actual testimony?" More applause. Followed by a shout.

"HE. I'M NOT AN IT."

Kingsley began banging his gavel to restore order.

"I'm not an IT," Al said strongly. His young voice quivered with anger. "I'm a human being. I may not have a body, but I do have a soul. If you don't want to believe me, that's your choice. But you can't shut me up."

Al's remarks had a surprising result. One more witch decided to voice her opinion. "The boy is right. Let him speak." Ed was surprised to note that it was Zamira Gulch. She smiled at Al. "We don't have to show him respect, but we can at least show common courtesy."

Apparently, Ed wasn't the only one to be surprised. Many of the wizards and witches were stunned into silence at her outburst.

And the testimony began.

* * *

_Al was glad he could not feel anything. Especially from the way Ed complained each time they used a portkey or apparated. But now he had a simple problem. He was bigger than the tunnel they had to crawl through to get to Hogwarts. It was Molly Weasley who supplied the answer. Not that Al wasn't nervous. She was pointing his wand at him and telling him to let her know if it hurt. She said something and a blue light shot from her wand. Al began to panic as Molly Weasley began to grow taller. In a few seconds, she stood over him, at least five times his height._

_"Hey, Al. I like this spell." Ed's voice said as his gigantic figure loomed into view. "I don't know how long it's been since I actually had a little brother who was smaller than me." He reached down and picked up the foot tall suit of armor while Al yelled that he be put down._

_"Sure thing." Ed placed him at the entrance to the tunnel. "You can lead the way, short stuff."_

_Al was about to yell at his brother for calling him short but realized his brother's head was almost the same size as his whole body. "I can still run faster than you." He took off running down the long tunnel. Despite his size, he had the advantage that he did not tire. That was the only reason his brother did not catch up. It was also the reason he was the first to exit the tunnel, to be surrounded by group of giant children. Everyone had a wand pointed at him._

_Al started waving his arms shouting that he was on their side. A giant with bushy hair stepped in front of the crowd._

_"AL?"_

_"You know him?" a boy her age asked._

_"Neville, this is Alphonse." She pulled out her wand and told everyone to step back. Then she cast her own spell. Everyone around Al shrank until he was back to normal size._

_"Thanks, Hermione. I understand Ed a lot better now."_

_The sound of a fist banging on hollow metal could be heard, followed by an angry voice. "Move your iron butt so the rest of us can get out of here."_

_"Um, sorry," Al said as he stepped aside. _

* * *

Arthur Weasley interrupted the testimony. "I should like to point out that what Alphonse Elric has told us can be verified by numerous people who have witnessed various parts of these events. Alphonse, however, is the only witness who was with Edward Elric the entire time. For those of you who are interested, I called this particular witness so that I would not have to call at least a half dozen others. If anyone wishes to doubt any of this testimony, I will be more than happy to waste everyone's time by calling the other witnesses."

Kingsley Shacklebolt shook his head. "You've made your point, Arthur. And if you wish to save time, please continue. We MIGHT finish the trial this morning."

"You won't," Ed called out. "He found out he gets a free lunch."

As the laughter died, Kingsley gave a wry smile. "We'll give you your free lunch, anyway. Just get on with it."

* * *

_"That's your LITTLE brother?" The mousy haired boy asked. He was looking at Ed, eye to eye._

_"Yeah, he had one hell of a growth spurt. I'm still waiting for mine."_

_"Let me know what it's like. If it ever happens." The boy held out his hand. "Colin Creevey."_

_"Edward Elric. I like talking to you. You're somebody I don't have to look up to."_

_"You'll like this. DENNIS." A shorter boy with similar features ran over. "My little brother knows how to behave."_

_Dennis shook hands then turned and stared when Al held out his hand. "I want to be you when I grow up."_

_Ed and Colin laughed as Al managed to look embarrassed._

_"So, Colin, what do you do for excitement around here? And where is here, anyway?"_

_As they waited for whatever was going to happen, Colin explained they were in the Room of Requirement. It could make itself into anything, and it became a hiding place for those students who couldn't deal with the teachers any longer. By the time he finished explaining the punishments, Ed was glad he came. This was a fight he wanted to be part of._

_Someone said the teachers wanted to talk to the students. There was a change in the staff. _

_And so, they all walked to the Great Hall, Colin explaining that the ceiling reflected the sky outside. When Ed stopped staring, Colin also explained that this was where they normally ate their meals. A stern woman called for everyone's attention, explaining that the underage students would be evacuated. Colin cursed under his breath. Ed caught the part about not waiting around just to leave._

_"Brother, NO."_

_Ed looked up. "I didn't say anything."_

_"I was close enough to hear, too," Al said in a hushed whisper. "He could get hurt. He could get killed."_

_"It's my choice," Colin said firmly, knowing he had an ally. "It's my school they're attacking."_

_Ed looked up at his brother. "It's your call, Al."_

_"Brother!" Al managed to whine in anger. "I hate when you do this. You always work things out so it's my fault. I say no."_

_Colin smiled. "Are you seventeen? You'll have to leave, too. Ed said he was my age, so he shouldn't stay either. And I know Professor McGonagall. She'll make you both leave."_

_Al was stunned. Colin was correct. They should leave. But they saw how things were. They had to help these people. He spoke to Colin in a stern voice. "When we get outside, we'll stand out of the way. Stay behind me. And don't move."_

_As they exited the Great Hall, Al took up his position near an alcove. Ed stood next to him, ready to be a distraction if need be. Then Dennis Creevey slipped between them and stood behind his brother. He whispered loud enough for three people to hear. "You owe me, Colin. I know McGonagall better than you."_

_The Elric brothers stood still, watching the students who were heading to the Room of Requirement and the tunnel into Hogsmeade. Most of the students had already left when the Professor stepped out of the Hall and looked directly at Alphonse. "There is someone hiding behind you. Who is it?"_

_Ed tried to act surprised and looked behind Al. That was when Dennis stepped out with a chagrined look on his face._

_"MISTER CREEVEY? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"_

_"Sorry. I thought that since Colin already left, everyone would think I went with him." He gave her a stubborn look. "I want to fight. It's my school, too."_

_McGonagall did not say anything. She walked over, grabbed him by the shoulder and put him in the custody of two of the older students. That was when she decided to talk to the two strangers._

_"You came with the Weasleys?"_

_"Yes, ma'am. We promised to help. Al and I are pretty good in a fight."_

_"And why does he wear armor?"_

_"It's body armor," Ed explained. "It can block most spells."_

_"And it can hurt, too," Al said cheerfully as he smacked his first into his palm._

_McGonagall eyed Al. She then looked down at Ed. "How old are you?"_

_Ed snarled at her. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HOW OLD AM I? I MUST BE A BABY BECAUSE I'M SO SHORT YOU HAVE TO USE A MICROSCOPE TO SEE ME?"_

_"BROTHER, SHE DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT."_

_Professor McGonagall began walking away. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Arthur Weasley has already vouched for you." She gave them a smile. "I am curious to see what ALCHEMISTS can do."_

_Ed smiled back, forgetting that moments ago he had been yelling at her. "We're planning on doing a lot."_

_"Al, do you want to check things out?" Ed suggested._

_Once they had a clear shot, the three quickly found a quiet spot to wait until "the party started." It was a window with a very nice view._

* * *

"Alphonse?" Arthur asked.

"It's my fault. I should have said no."

"Then he would have done what several other students did. Run back to Hogwarts once he reached Hogsmeade. The school is not that far away, you know."

"But . . ."

"Mister Weasley," a wizard called out. "Did the Horcrux just express regret?"

Arthur looked at the assembly. "Yes. Alphonse knew he did something unwise, and he does regret it. Please remember that he was younger than Colin Creevey at the time. Rash decisions were common at that age. As we all remember."

* * *

_The first thing they noticed were the giants. It was hard not to. The second thing they noticed were the large boulders heading for the school. With seconds to spar, they ran for cover as the window where they were standing, and the surrounding wall, exploded. As the dust settled, they came out for a look._

_"Better down there than up here, Al. What do you think?"_

_"I'm already there brother."_

_Al leaped out the four story window, landing on his feet on the ground below. Colin looked amazed as the loud thud was heard. Ed smiled back. "I have to be more careful. I have to make sure I land on the right foot." He lifted his trouser leg to show the automail underneath._

_Colin's surprise this time held a smile. "So the right leg will be the wrong foot to land on."_

_"And don't worry," Ed told him. "We'll have you down in a minute."_

_Ed jumped out the window, landing strongly, letting his left leg take most of the shock. His right hand hit the ground to take the rest of it. As Ed stood up, Al put his hands on the castle walls, where he had drawn a transmutation circle. In seconds, a four-story stone slide appeared on the outer wall, starting at the broken window. Shortly after that, Colin was standing next to them. Two other students followed him down and one started asking what kind of magic that was._

_"Great. We let the whole school out. Hi, Luna. Who's the Geek?"_

_Luna laughed and introduced Dean Thomas. "Oh, and we can say Voldemort's name, now. Harry told me."_

_"Will he come?" Colin asked, his wand ready._

_"He's underage," Dean said._

_"So are we," Ed replied_

_"BROTHER."_

_Ed looked up. Another boulder was coming their way. He clapped his hands and hit them against the ground. A column of stone rose up at an angle, to hit the incoming missile head on. The boulder bounced back toward the giant who had thrown it._

_"Giant's will be easy," Ed noted. "Al, let's get started."_

_"Don't kill them," Luna said in a matter of fact voice. "They're an endangered species. Oh, and that short one running with Hagrid is a friend."_

_"Uh, right," Al answered, as he saw the 'small' giant carry a seven foot man to the school and throw him through a third story window._

_"It's not only giants we're fighting," Colin pointed out. "There are wizards and . . . other things."_

_Ed nodded. "We'll take out the giants, first. You guys give us cover while we shake things up a bit."_

_"Alchemy," Colin told the other two students. "Trust me. I'll explain later."_

_"We'll watch and learn," Dean said._

_The hardest part was getting close enough. Alchemy of this type was not good at long range. And Al had to draw a circle to perform alchemy. Something that Ed didn't need. It was another gift from the gate._

_The plan was simple. Pick a giant. Al would stand by in case he needed to deflect one of the boulders. Ed would give the giant a stone straight jacket that was still attached to the ground. It was effective, but it also attracted attention._

_That was where Colin and his friends helped. They shouted curses in the direction of anyone who might want to interfere. If it was a large group, and they were safe from flying rocks for the moment, Al would throw up a low wall. Everything was fine until the giants decided they had enough and went for easier targets. There were only a dozen left. Most of them where victims of Ed and Al. One was on their side. Al was transmuting the ground into boulders for Grawp the friendly giant to throw._

_That was when Ed learned what dementors were._

* * *

"I did apologize for all the holes."

A smattering of laughter filled the hall.

"Nothing that we couldn't fix," Arthur assured the boy. "And what happened after Grawp went to help Hagrid?"

"Ed and I became separated. I saw the dementors attacking. I didn't know what they were but I saw how people reacted. I wasn't affected because of my body, and they seemed to ignore me." Al couldn't smile but you could hear the pride in his voice. "They started to notice me after I hit the first one."

"I remember that," someone yelled from the viewing stands. "I'm the one whose life he saved."

"Good for you, boy." This remark came from Zamira Gulch.

Al had time to thank her before Kingsley Shacklebolt banged his gavel. "Edward Elric is on trial, here. All testimony must pertain to him." He paused. "And I should point out to Arthur Weasley that he has done is to remind this tribunal that the Horcrux does not have a body."

Arthur nodded. "In that case, I wish to present another fact to the Wizengamot. I wish to remind 'this tribunal of what Alphonse Elric is capable of."

Kingsley nodded his head that Arthur could proceed.

"Al, please break out of your chains."

"Sure." He turned sideways toward Kingsley. "Sir, I just wanted to show you that I scratched a small transmutation circle on one of the chain links."

As Kingsley leaned forward to try to see, he asked which link it was. Al told him which one, promptly touching it with his finger. All of the chains began to glow. Seconds later, every single link, no chain was left, fell to the ground.

Kingsley stared. "Those chains were unbreakable."

"I didn't break them, Sir. All the links are intact. I only separated them."

"One final point, Minister," Arthur Weasley said calmly. "Alphonse, when did you scratch that transmutation circle onto that link?"

"The first time I was alone. Ed taught me to be prepared for anything."

"And are you capable of escaping, right now."

"Um . . . yeah . . . probably."

Kingsley smiled. "The witness is hesitant."

"People would get hurt, Sir. I'd rather not try."

"Thank you, Alphonse," Arthur said. "You may step down." He turned to Kingsley. "Minister, could I ask that Alphonse Elric remain. I am about to call my last witness. And it shouldn't take to long." He smiled. "It seems a pity to walk him all the way to his cell only to walk him back."

"How long will this witness take?"

"If he speaks slowly, he could drag this out for fifteen minutes."

Kingsley nodded and pointed to a spot along the wall where Al should stand. Arthur was smiling.

"I call Dean Thomas."

A tall black man, a year older than Ed, stood up from his place and walked to the witness box. As he passed Al, who was being escorted to one side of the hall, he paused and put a hand on Al's arm. "It isn't over yet . . . Friend."

Al answered as loudly. "I'm not the one you should be concerned about. This isn't MY trial."

Dean took the stand. He was asked only one question. To describe what he saw in the closing minutes of the 'Battle of Hogwarts'.

Dean insisted on first pointing out that they were in the heat of battle. They were literally fighting for their lives. He started out with Ed and Al outside. Ginny Weasley joined them briefly, but Dean ran off with Colin when they saw a group that needed help. He later saw Luna inside the school, and glimpsed Ginny through a window. But he couldn't get where he was going. He was fighting at every turn. Al suddenly appeared and simply hit the wizard Dean was dueling with without pausing, running to wherever he was headed.

It was near the end of the battle, the first part, although no one knew it. (Voldemort would decide to give them an hour's reprieve. His only demand was that they give him Harry Potter.) Dean was outside again with Colin. This time, Seamus Finnigan was with them instead of Luna.

"This is unnecessary," a wizard commented.

"It is," Dean insisted firmly. "You must understand the conditions. It was chaos. And you should have interrupted earlier. I'm about to answer the question directly." He cleared his throat. "We did not see Al, but we saw Ed. He was in trouble, so we ran to help."

Ed smiled, then frowned. His own memories were filling his head.

* * *

_It wasn't planned. Ed had no idea what Dementors were. Any wizards and witches around him drew back._

_Ed attacked._

_Unlike Al, he wasn't immune to the effect of these demons. He felt all happiness and hope fading. He was crying. And he was also cursing._

_"You bastards. You've only made me mad." He clapped his hands together. "Scar, I owe you for this."_

_Alchemy takes place in three parts. Analysis the object. Break down its components. Reform the components into the desired object. The Ishbalan Alchemist, only known as Scar, always stopped at the second step. This is what Ed did._

_As the first dementor approached, Ed put his hands on the creature. It exploded. A second creature took its place, both in approaching and exploding. But there were too many. He felt himself being drained as he caused another one to explode. A white wolf appeared briefly to drive them back, giving Ed some breathing room. He clapped his hands and his right arm suddenly had a two foot sword blade extending over the wrist._

_He began slashing at the creatures. It didn't seem to hurt them but it did make them cautious. It briefly became a routine. He would slash with his wand, clap his hands together, put them on the nearest dementor. After the explosion, repeat. He killed four more dementors that way before they backed away. Ed thought he had bested them. Then noticed humans approaching. Some of the humans had masks. Death Eaters. The supposed elite of Voldemort's troops. A look behind him told him that help was coming, from more than one direction. Ed decided he would give the help a little more time._

_Again, Ed clapped his hands together, completing the circle. The sword disappeared. He dropped to his knees and put both hands on the ground. Starting in front of him, and fanning out as in a wave, sharp pointed cones of hard earth sprang out of the ground. A few of the attackers were hurt, but everyone else was merely annoyed at having to slow down. Until one Death Eater had a simple idea. He cleared a path by simply blowing up the cones. Ed clapped his hands and hit the ground again. This time, the stones and metals in the ground came together as a shield. His right arm had its sword back._

_The shield withstood three major spells before it shattered. By then, the battle was in full force. A wizard trying to cast a spell ended up pulling back a stump. Ed stabbed one wizard without affecting him. Someone on his side shouted it was a vampire. Ed fell on his back deliberately, smacking his hands together. His right hand drew from the ground the earth reformed into the wood it had decayed from, a spear, and lunged it into the surprised vampire's_

_heart._

_And the fighting increased. Ed leaped into the fray. Hacking with his sword arm at any available target. Dodging more spells than he thought possible. He thrust at one wizard. Missed him. Wand was in two pieces. A witch cast a spell. A jinx. He blocked with his right arm. The automail was not affected by it. A quick clap. He thrust his hands outward. A short burst of wind knocked the witch down, along with those around her. The someone who shouted, 'vampire' then shouted, 'do it here'. Ed turned to his left and repeated. A witch facing three opponents gave him a quick smile as they fell, then began jinxing them as fast as possible to make sure they did not get up._

_Ed was already back to his own battle. And he did have help. An occasional curse would ring out whenever the half dozen men and women facing him decided to fan out. They used to be twelve. Ed and his unknown helper were three for three._

_Ed jumped. A wizard caught by surprise. A kick with the left foot. The score was four to three. The witch was up quicker than Ed thought. A body bind curse caught her as she tried to curse Ed. Four to four. A race forward at another witch. She stepped backward and cast a curse. Ed dodged and save someone on his left. He spun and slashed at the wizard trying to attack him. The witch tried another curse. Ed dodged and grabbed a rock on the ground. He threw it. He turned and slashed when he felt someone on his right._

_It was Colin. He had come to help. There was a smile on his face. But his eyes were already blank as his body slide off the sword._


	6. Day Three: Afternoon

A/N: One more chapter after this and I'll be done. I couldn't resist putting in an epilogue with the title of Seventeen Years Later. My thanks to everyone who has been reading.

Day Three: Afternoon

Arthur Weasley stood next to Ed as the wizards and witches of the Wizengamot resumed their seats. Ed couldn't help himself.

"How was the free meal?"

"Wonderful. I even talked to several people. Do you know, they mostly wanted to know about lookalikes. They know what Ginny said about Luna. And she did mention there were others."

Ed nodded politely.

Hermione walked up and gave Ed a quick hug, ignoring the chains. "I think it will all work out."

"For me?" Ed's tone let her know that he didn't care what happened to him.

"It will be close. Don't worry. And if you get a chance, try to flatter some people. I know they're going to ask you about Dopplegangers"

"Anyone I should try to impress?"

"Zamira Gulch, especially. I think she likes you. Both of you. She likes to take a hard line, but if you soften her up."

Ed snorted. "It'll be hard. She does remind me of someone. A teacher. She liked to take a hard line, too. I don't really like to talk about her."

"Really?" A familiar voice said. Zamira Gulch had heard her name and stopped to listen. She wasn't amused. "Perhaps I should take my seat so we can conclude the trial."

Ed tried to smile. Hermione merely covered her face to hide her embarrassment. Arthur looked away, pretending he heard none of the conversation. A shadow loomed over them and a young voice asked, "Brother?"

Zamira Gulch gave Ed a triumphant smile.

"Alphonse, may I ask you a question, unrelated to this trial?"

"Oh, certainly, Ma'am. And thank you for sticking up for me, earlier."

Zamira waved her hand and spoke in her sweetest voice. "Don't mention it, dear. It always pays to be polite, I say. But let me ask you, dear. I heard your brother mention a teacher he didn't like. One who always took a hard line. I was curious what she taught you. What subjects you studied in school?"

"Um . . ." Al paused. He had noticed that the hall seemed awfully quiet. As though a large number of people were trying to eavesdrop on a conversation. "Well, honestly, Ed didn't like any of our teachers. And he never cared if anyone knew or not." He paused again and looked at his brother. "We had one teacher Ed did like, but . . . he doesn't like to talk about her because she's . . . um, she wasn't well the last time we saw her."

Zamira Gulch's face suddenly softened. She even gave Ed an apologetic look for her earlier attitude. Ed nodded, but turned to stare at the floor.

"She . . . She taught us Alchemy. Izume was tough on us, but she always let us know why. And . . . " Al paused again. "Um, the other teachers, that was reading and writing and numbers. The stuff everybody learns."

Zamira tried to smile, but she clearly felt the emotion that was in Al's voice. "Edward mentioned that . . ."

"You remind me of my favorite teacher from home." His tone said that Ed was correct.

It was a misty eyed witch who returned to her seat.

Ed smiled. Al's favorite teacher was the one who always gave him milk and cookies after she finished with their morning lessons at the school. Ed never got a cookie because he refused to drink the milk. Al would always make a comment that it was a shame to let a cookie go to waste. The fat old battleaxe usually ended up letting him have two cookies. That's why she was Al's favorite teacher. At home.

They both went away to study with Izume. But Ed wasn't about to explain that. Especially when Al's life hung in the balance.

Everyone was in their place. Ed was in his chains. Al stood against the wall in the same spot as before. The audience settled down as Kingsley Shacklebolt banged his gavel.

"All of the evidence has been given by the defense, which has rested its case. Are there any questions from the Wizengamot for the defendant or any of the witnesses." He looked around, nodding at the first hand he saw.

Amos Diggory smiled. "I wish to question the defendant about a particular subject of curiosity. That there are people in this world who strongly resemble people in the, er, other world. Most of us would like to know about them, but I would also like to know close the resemblance is and how closely we act like our counterparts. In particular, I want to understand how these resemblances might have affected your actions."

"He does have a way with words," Arthur whispered to Ed. "Now they can all pretend it's about the case."

"I won't lie," Ed told him in a slightly higher whisper.

Arthur patted his shoulder and called him a good boy.

Ed smiled as he stood up. He pointed out that most of the people he recognized were already dead. He was shown their photographs. And none of the people were exact duplicates.

A perfect example was when Ed saw the picture of Harry Potter's godfather, Sirius Black. He noticed the resemblance to his commanding officer, General Mustang. Black would have been the same age, but the differences were striking. The General always seemed serious while Sirius never seemed to be, from what Ed was told. And the General's hair was always in place. Sirius Black, in every picture he saw, made sure his hair was somewhat presentable

Luna Lovegood resembled Winry Rockbell, but again there were differences. Luna's hair was darker and she always acted like nothing bothered her. Winry was more of an in-your-face person. They did match up in one department. They both insisted on doing their best, be it magic or mechanics.

Ed mentioned a few other people that these wizards might know. Then he mentioned one person who seemed almost a perfect match. A man called James Potter. He knew nothing about the man except that he looked exactly like a man Ed once knew. A man called Maes Hughes.

"Mister Elric." It was Kingsley Shacklebolt. "It is obvious that none of this testimony is relevant to the case." He paused, trying to keep emotion from his voice. "Even I am curious, though. Could you tell us about this man?"

Ed's voice caught for a second. When it came out, it had more emotion than he intended.

"He loved his family. Every spare moment he had, he would shove a picture in your face of his wife or his daughter. He would talk about them so much it literally made you sick.

"He had your back. If you needed help, he was there. He was loyal. If he gave you his word, he kept it. He never betrayed a trust. He never gave less than one hundred percent. And just by being who he was, he made you want to match him step for step.

"When he died, when I found out he was killed, I felt anger, I felt hollow, I felt like a part of my own life had been torn away."

Ed looked straight at Kingsley. "I cared for him as though he was my own brother."

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked up, scanning the viewing stands until he spotted who he was looking for.

"Mister Potter."

Ed could hear Harry Potter standing up then say, "Yes, Minister."

"This young man just described your father."

Ed heard an emotional, "Thank you, Sir."

"Except for the fact that you weren't a girl."

Even Ed laughed. It was a relief from such a serious moment.

Kingsley seemed almost jovial. "It is now time for the Wizengamot to give its verdict."

Ed looked at Arthur Weasley, who nodded in return. They already knew what the final verdict would be. They were going through the motions. He turned back as the Minister called the first charge. Use of the Dark Arts.

"The record shows that the actual use of the Dark Arts, as related to Alchemy, occurred outside of our jurisdiction. The record also shows that Edward Elric is aware of what he did that was wrong and that it indeed was wrong. While some aspects of Alchemy performed in our jurisdiction could be considered as use of the Dark Arts, such actions occurred during times when the defendant was being attacked by more than one assailant. I move that Edward Elric be cleared on this count. Those in favour?"

Ed watched as most of the wizards and witches raised their hands. When those opposed were called, less than a dozen hands appeared.

"The motion carries. On the charge of Possession of Dark Materials. It is obvious that the defendant brought the Horcrux with him without being aware of its dark nature. Nor has the soul inside it shown itself to be malevolent in any way. In addition, the defendant has turned the Horcrux over to the Wizengamot without violence. Because of the mitigating circumstances, I move that Edward Elric be cleared on this count."

As the Minister called for the vote, Ed couldn't help but notice what was left out. That Al the Horcrux was helping out while all these wizards and witches were fighting for their lives. It was little comfort that the majority voted for him.

"On the charge of Subversion. The record shows that the defendant demonstrated only the positive aspects of Alchemy, with the exceptions noted earlier. In cases where he taught the subject, the record shows that he warned of the dangers of the misuse of Alchemy, using his own injuries as a forceful example. This Minister, with the support of the Wizengamot, will wish to pursue the subject of teaching Alchemy, and thus asks this body to dismiss this charge outright. All opposed?"

There were more hands than before but still not even near enough to be a majority. Ed grimly thought, 'three down, one to go'.

"On the count of murder. Only one person killed by the defendant was not an armed attacker. The court is only to consider the charge of the murder of Colin Creevey. The record shows that this occurred without intent while the defendant was heavily engaged by enemy wizards. Because this incident occurred during battle conditions, I move that Edward Elric be cleared on this count. Those in favour?"

Again, it was no surprise. A clear majority had raised their hands.

"Edward Elric, you will stand before this court. The Wizengamot has ruled and found you not guilty on all counts." He banged his gavel. "The Aurors will release you."

Ed gave a bitter smile. "I can do it myself." He clapped his hands together. The chains binding him began to glow. They all dropped harmlessly to the ground. That was when the applause started.

Arthur Weasley had been right. For the most part, it was an emotional issue. And he had presented an eloquent defense in that respect. But as Ed looked around at all those who were know clapping their hands, he became angry. He didn't want them to support him. He wanted them to support Al.

The applause died slowly. As they did, Hermione Granger raised her voice. "Minister, Alphonse Elric is recognized as being property, and specifically as being the property of Edward Elric until he was ordered to surrender Al to this court. As Assistant Counsel for the Defendant, I move that his property be returned to him as it is not of hostile design."

Ed fell in love with Hermione for saying that. It sounded like legal garbage but garbage that just might work. All that applause wasn't just from the spectators.

One old wizard in the Wizengamot stood up before Kingsley could say anything. "Minister, the defendant wants his Horcrux back. Surely you're not going to waste our time by making us vote on this? But of course you are, a motion has been made and we have to follow the law. I ask only that we phrase the question properly. Should the Horcrux be destroyed?"

Kingsley frowned. "The question has been called. Should the Horcrux be destroyed?"

It was hard to tell how close the vote was. But certain signs weren't good. Zamira Gulch had her hand raised, Ed noticed, but she looked away when he caught her eye. Minister Shacklebolt also had his hand raised. He wasn't looking at anyone, deliberately. Some faces were determined, but many were sad. That was when Ed understood. Many hands were not fully raised. That was why he thought it was a close vote.

Al had touched these people. He had managed in a short time to reveal his humanity to them. But to them he was still a Horcrux. Horcruxes had to be destroyed. There was no middle ground.

Ed saw the Minister. Kingsley didn't look around. He didn't bother to count the votes. He didn't have to. The gavel banged with the announcement. Al was a nice guy, BUT.

Hermione Granger hit Ed's shoulder to get his attention. He turned when she yelled, "OW". She had forgotten and hit the automail arm. She mouthed, "Sorry". Then she nodded that he should watch Arthur. Arthur Weasley has a smile that would not fade.

"Kingsley," Arthur called out cheerfully. "May I make a suggestion, as a friend of the court, as to the method used to destroy the Horcrux?"

When Kingsley said, "Arthur?" it was more than a simple question. It was also a demand that he explain his latest scheme. Arthur Weasley was still smiling.

"The Wizengamot has acknowledged that the soul in the Horcrux is not hostile. He isn't even evil. During the Battle of Hogwarts he fought with us. And he did manage to save a few lives. My idea will not keep the Horcrux from being destroyed. It will only delay the matter for a period of time."

Ed noticed that Arthur was enjoying himself. He had everyone's attention. And Arthur knew that most of them cast their last vote with some regret.

"I suggest, Minister, that the Horcrux be preserved until such a time as the soul inside of it can be restored to his body."

Kingsley Shacklebolt was not the only one to look surprised. "I know Voldemort did this. But I must ask. Is such a thing even possible without using the Dark Arts?"

"From what my daughter has told me, it is possible to recreate a human body with the use of Alchemy. But such a . . . transmutation needs a significant source of power. I suggest we permit Edward Elric to make . . ."

"NO."

It was AL who shouted. Ed was too stunned to say anything.

"You're talking about making the Philosopher's Stone," Al said angrily. "You can't do that. You don't know what it means."

* * *

_A memory. The humunculus known as Envy sneered at the prone Alphonse Elric. "You do know what's inside you. Seven thousand soldiers died to make you the Philosopher's Stone. And don't forget the tens of thousands of Isbalans who died. They're in there, too."_

_ A memory. Ed flung his head into his arms. "There's no mistake, Al. The final ingredient to make the Philosopher's Stone is people."_

_ A memory. Risa Hawkeye seemed puzzled. "Ed, I thought you were going to find the Ishbalans to find out if they had another way to make the Philosopher's Stone."_

_ "We did. It seems that using the Grand Arcanum to make the stone requires even more lives."_

* * *

Ed smiled. A grim smile that held no humor. "You were talking about the Dark Arts. It doesn't get any darker that this. You're asking us to kill a hundred thousand people, more or less. I'd rather destroy Al's blood seal myself than permit you to do that."

"But you . . ." Ginny said in shock. "Al told me . . ."

"It was done to Al, and not by his choice. And he used that stone to bring me back when I died. That's how we ended up here. We don't want to make another Stone. Not at that price."

And old man stood up. "Young man, using magic to make a Philosopher's Stone does not require anyone to take a life."

Arthur gestured for the man to join him, then turned to Kingsley.

"Minister, may I introduce the only man living to ever make the Stone. Nicholas Flamel."

"Professor Flamel," Kingsley asked, "Is it possible for you to make another Stone?"

"Me? No," Flamel said, sadly. "The principle ingredient needed with magic is time. That is one thing I no longer have in any quantity. I can, however, teach this young man how to do so." He smiled at Ed. "And we can let him decide if he wants to go through with this plan."

It was a smiling Zamira Gulch who spoke. "Minister, I call the question. Shall we permit the Horcrux to remain intact until such time as the soul it contains can be restored to its . . . HIS body."

Kingsley had a faint smile as well. "We should add 'or until such time as it proves not to be possible'." He looked around. "The vote is called. All in favour?"

Hands rose up. It was hard to tell if there was a majority or not. One of the court wizards proceeded to count the show of hands. He wrote a number on a piece of parchment and nodded to the minister when he was done.

"All opposed?"

Again, hands rose up. Again the court wizard made his count. He wrote down the number and walked over to the Minister to give him the parchment. Kingsley frowned.

"The Wizengamot must demand that all wizards and witches vote on this matter. Will all those who abstained please rise?"

Two witches and one wizard stood up.

"An equal number of votes have been cast for and against. This tribunal must have a clear majority one way or the other. You must decide."

"Then I'll vote no," one witch said and sat down.

"I'll vote yes," the wizard said. "I don't want ths decision on my hands." He sat down as well.

She was an old witch. She still had her senses. Everyone could tell that. And now she was angry. "It's all up to me then? I'll tell you this, Kingsley. I didn't vote because I didn't think it would make a difference. Just goes to show what I know. But I'll give you my vote after I give you my reasons. First, a Horcrux is an abomination. That is an absolute. As absolute as the ban on the Unforgivable Curses."

She turned to Al. "There was another war before this one, boy. Voldemort and his followers used these curses, freely. And it was decided that circumstances demanded the Aurors be permitted to use these very curses. But Voldemort also made Horcruxes to preserve his life. Your brother, however, made a Horcrux to preserve your life. And that is the difference."

As she sat down she said, "Minister, I vote yes."

* * *

Professor McGonagall eyed Alphonse with amusement. "You do know that you are in my care until this matter is resolved."

"Yes Ma'am, um, Headmistress."

"And you," She turned to Ed. "You have a busy schedule ahead of you. I was told that you are capable of magic?"

"Yeah?" Ed was sure he wasn't going to like this.

"First things first. You will learn from Professor Flamel exactly what you need to do. Then you will talk to me so that we can set up a schedule. You may be a late starter, but you will learn magic. And, more important than that, you will write down everything you know about Alchemy. You will have help in this. We want to study the subject thoroughly." She waved them from her office. "Nicholas Flamel is waiting for you."

They left the Headmistress's office and made their way to the teacher's lounge. Nicholas had his journal with him and at once began to explain what was needed. The ingredients, he assured them, could all be found without difficulty or great expense. He showed them his notes on how they should be prepared. Further notes showed in what order and quantity they needed to be mixed.

"But," Ed asked in confusion, "This isn't that hard. Why doesn't everyone make these stones?"

Nicholas smiled. He turned to the last entry in the journal. "You see what is written here? You need to let the potion simmer until all the ingredients have blended together properly."

Ed's eyes bulged as he read the last line. "Six thousand days?"

Flamel nodded his head as he laughed. "Now you know why I can't make one. I doubt I will still be alive in five years. I definitely won't be around in sixteen and a half years. And you must watch the potion the entire time. It must remain at a constant temperature."

"But I can't do that. Not all the time."

"I can, brother," Al said. "I don't need to sleep. I don't need to eat. If need be, I can spend every minute watching the potion."

Ed smiled. "We'll do it, Al. We'll get our bodies back the way they were. Doctor Flamel, what do we do first?"

"We have dinner. I'm starving."

* * *

As they neared the Great Hall, Nicholas called out to an old woman and introduced her as his wife, Perenelle. He then looked around until he saw a young girl, about Ed's age, talking to some students.

"That's my great, great, great, great, great . . ."

"That's our granddaughter," Perenelle told them, "Nicholas always loses count. Last time, he made her her own granddaughter. FLORA!"

Ed's jaw dropped. He knew the girl. He knew her from another world by another name. This girl had lighter skin and golden eyes, but her face and build were exactly the same. "Rose?"

The girl looked amused. She spoke with a French accent. "Flora. It means a flower. But a rose is as pretty a one as any other."

"Sorry. You reminded me of someone I knew. From another place."

She took his hand in hers. "Now you have my curiosity. Sit with me while we eat and tell me all about her. Then I will tell you if you have the right to compare us."

As they entered the Great Hall, they were stopped again. This time by Dennis Creevey.

Flora told Ed she would save him a seat and pointed to where she would be sitting. He could then tell her all about this conversation as well.

"Dennis, I'm . . ."

"I know, you're sorry you killed my brother, but, well I've been talking to Al. You've only been here one day and you've disappeared every time I walked into the same room or tried to talk to you."

"It's . . ." Ed hated this. Every memory of Colin was coming back. How they became friends in an instant all the way to his blank eyes staring at Ed.

"I know," Dennis told him. "And I do understand. I don't blame you, but . . . you owe me something. A blood debt."

"A blood debt."

"Yeah. I don't want Colin to be forgotten. I don't want you to forget about him. I want you to always remember him. But I don't want it to happen in a way that will hurt . . . that will hurt either of us."

Ed nodded to show he agreed. He then smiled when Dennis told him what he had to do.


	7. Seventeen Years Later

A/N: A final thank you to everyone who has been reading. It also helps to know what you thought of the story. (Official Review Hint (TM) # 3) And thanks to those who have been reviewing along the way.

On a more serious note, epilogues are supposed to be easy to write. You just write down any fantasy you like to give the reader a look at 'what happened next'. It took me longer to write this chapter than any of the others. I think the reason is because, despite the happy ending, it isn't really a happy ending at all. In the end, there is Equivalent Exchange. Something is gained. Something is lost.

Seventeen Years Later:

The Blood Debt Is A Bloody Pain

Alphonse Elric let out a restful sigh as he slowly he began to wake. Suddenly, he felt a thump as someone jumped on his bed. He opened his eyes to a strange and familiar sight.

Al stared at the face only inches from his own. The mouth had a maniacal smile and the golden eyes contained a jovial malevolence. But there was something different that he couldn't quite make out.

"Brother?"

"HE'S AWAKE!" the faux Ed shouted.

"If he wasn't before, he certainly is, now," a woman's voice said, angrily. She had an accent. "Get off that bed, right now."

"This is great," the golden haired boy said as he stood on the floor. He was dressed in tan shorts and a white shirt. "He called me brother." He had the same kind of accent.

Without the face blocking his view, Al could now see around him. The woman who spoke was walking toward him, passing rows of beds. She walked up and smiled.

"Good morning, Alphonse. Did you sleep well?"

"Um, yeah," Al answered. "You know who I am? Is this a hospital?"

The woman frowned. "This is the school infirmary. And yes, I do know who you are. I know all about you. The question I need to ask is if you know who I am?"

Al shook his head. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

The frown deepened. "I'm Madam Pomfrey, the school healer, Alphonse. And before you ask any more questions, there is something I need to ask you. What is the last thing you do remember?"

Al hesitated. The last thing he did remember was activating the transmutation circle, the bright lights turning darker colors, then nothing.

"Would it be the transmutation circle?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"You know about that?"

The boy shrugged. "Everyone does."

"Shut up, Colin." Madam Pomfrey tried to smile. "Alphonse, a lot of time has passed since that night. A great many things have happened."

"What things?" Fear was in Al's voice.

This time, Madam Pomfrey did smile. She glanced at the blond boy. "This one here is a good example. He is not your brother. This is his son, Colin."

Al's eyes grew wide. "Then Ed . . . ?"

"Professor Elric is at least twenty years older than you remember."

Al made the effort to sit up in the bed. He noticed he was wearing pajamas. Concentrating on that fact seemed to make everything easier. She said this was the school infirmary. She said Ed was a professor. And the boy, Colin, was his son. Taking a deep breath, he asked the obvious question.

"What happened?"

"Well . . ."

"Shut up, Colin." Madam Pomfrey pointed to a chair next to the bed. "Sit." Colin sat and Madam Pomfrey turned back to Al. "The transmutation spell went wrong. You were . . . injured. As was your brother. It was powerful magic and it took years to restore you to your body."

"Restore?"

Madam Pomfrey waved a stick and a glass appeared in her hand. She handed the glass to Al. "It's a calming potion. You should drink it."

"NO. You said I was RESTORED." Al's look was one of stubborn insistence. "Tell me what happened to me."

"Can I . . ." Colin began.

"No." Madam Pomfrey gave him a brief glare before turning back to Alphonse. "I'm not sure how to explain what happened, but the essence is this. Your body was lost. But your soul was saved and housed in a suit of armor." She pointed to the far corner of the room. It was the same armor that stood in father's study. "That armor. You lived in that armor for more than two decades." Her look spoke of sympathy. "It seems you've lost all memory of that time."

Al sat in thought as he tried to place everything in his mind. He looked at Colin.

"And what happens now?"

"We go eat?" Colin suggested. "It's almost noon."

Madam Pomfrey thought for a while then nodded. Colin let out a whoop. Even Al smiled.

Al was led to a large bathroom and told to take his time. The bathtub was the size of a small pond, and a nearby sink held a toothbrush and comb. On a chair were clothes, a duplicate of what Colin was wearing, including a funny pair of rubber shoes that he was told were trainers. Colin laughed when he asked what he was training for?

Colin seemed to laugh a lot. He also kept up a running monologue about what to expect all while Al was bathing and brushing his teeth. They were at Hogwarts. It was a school of magic. Of course, magic was real. Everyone knew that. Dad was a great wizard and a great teacher. He taught Alchemy. What did Al think he taught? And he wrote all the school books on the subject. Dad was brilliant. Professor McGonagall was the Headmistress. Mom just kind of helped out. They all lived at the school. Al did, too. Colin had his own room. Al had his own apartment.

Al even had a chance to ask a question as he was getting dressed. What was he like?

"Awesome. You were huge. And you were great at everything. You and Dad would fight all the time and everyone would come and watch. You always won unless it was a draw."

Al stopped buttoning his shirt. "What did we fight about?"

"About every other day. Dad said it was great exercise. Are you ready? I bet they started eating already. Everyone wants to meet you."

Al paused to let a new thought sink in. Everyone knew him. Hundreds of people. They had known him for years. But he had never met any of them. He gave Colin a pleading look.

"What do I do?"

Colin misunderstood. "Just follow me. I know my way all around the school." As they left, wearing almost identical clothes, Colin smiled. "You know, Uncle Al." He stopped and looked at the other boy. Al was about the same height, a rounder face, brown hair and brown eyes.

"That's not right," Colin said with authority. "You can't be my uncle anymore. You're too young." Excitement entered his voice. "You're my brother. My new baby brother. I'll take Dad's place for you and you can be my best friend. Trisha will hate that."

Al was startled. "That's my mom's name."

Colin waved his hand. "Well, your mum's name was given to my sister." He smiled wickedly. "Our sister. We'll make sure she hates you proper."

Al began to take the measure of the boy in front of him. "What if I like her?" he teased. "I've never had a sister before."

"You won't like her," Colin assured him. "She's a girl."

* * *

Ed frowned as he heard the news from Professor Longbottom. Everyone already knew that Al's body had been restored. Now they were learning something new. The Other Professor Elric had no memories from after he lost his body.

"Professor?" a student asked. Ed cursed under his breath. He would have to find out during his class with the seventh years.

"Professor?" the student asked, again. Her voice broke. When Ed looked up she had tears in her eyes. Maybe it was his arrogance, but it made Ed angry. If anyone was going to cry for his brother, it should be him.

"There's no reason to cry."

"But . . . he won't remember . . ."

Ed cut her off in a strong enough voice to get everyone's attention. "Claris, he was restored to his body. The body of a ten year old boy. The accident cost him his childhood. You do know that you're crying because he has the chance to grow up as a normal, um, alchemical prodigy."

Even Claris laughed. And she nodded in agreement.

"I suppose I should dismiss this class early, now that we know Al is awake," Ed told the class to modest cheers.

"And in the care of someone's son," Professor Longbottom said as he quickly departed.

"NEVILLE." Professor Longbottom stuck his head back inside the classroom. "He's not in the infirmary?" Ed asked.

"I understand he's getting cleaned and dressed before going to the Great Hall."

Ed dismissed the class with a wave of his hand. Then he sat down. Al's first introduction to this world was to be through the most annoying child who ever existed. Who cares what Flora said about him being wonderful. Who cared that his godfather Dennis said he was like his own brother reborn. And Dennis didn't have to add, "but a little shorter," except it was fun to watch Colin get all angry. Ed had told Dennis more than once. The blood debt turned out to be a bloody pain.

Ed was still sitting there when Flora walked in. In a moment, she was standing by his side, holding his left hand.

"You are sad." Flora had never lost her French accent, although it had softened.

"He's gone. It as though he never was."

"He is here. He is here as the boy who was lost."

"But the man is gone. Flora, Al was in that armor for twenty three years. During that time we were never apart for more than a few days. We experienced so much together." He looked up at his wife. "My brother, Al, died last night when we restored his body. That boy in the infirmary is just a stranger that I used to know years ago."

Flora pulled on his hand and coaxed him to stand up. "And you do not cry for him?" She told Ed that the students were already repeating what Neville had said. The Great Hall was filling up early. Everyone wanted to make sure they were there when Al walked in. And she smiled. "You do not cry because you are happy for him. I know you do not tell me everything about your life from before. You do not tell me the painful memories. The ones that Alphonse no longer has."

"The ones he doesn't need," Ed agreed. He kissed his wife. "I did this to him, Flora. He didn't want to, but I pushed him into helping me. He tried to tell me but I wouldn't listen. I'm the reason for all of this."

Flora's hand was on his cheek. "Alphonse talked to me as well. Especially as this day grew closer. And he told me. On that day, he was afraid. But he also wanted to. He was not afraid to try. He was afraid to fail."

"So, what do I do?"

Flora smiled. "Come to the Great Hall. It will amuse everyone to watch your awkward reunion."

Ed smiled as they left the classroom. "Madam Pomfrey, in her infinite wisdom, put Al in the care of our son. She was supposed to summon me the instant he woke."

"It was my idea," Flora admitted. "We knew this was a possibility once we saw his body had not aged. I thought your brother would appreciate a companion his own size in either case. Al is now a child. He can best learn this world from another child. I told Madam Pomfrey to do this if he did not remember."

"We also have a daughter," Ed reminded her.

"The son looks exactly like his father."

Ed laughed. "He has his mother's eyes."

Flora smacked him playfully. "His mother has the same eyes as his father."

* * *

"You're walking too slow," Colin insisted.

Al was offended. He was about to walk into a crowded room where everyone would be looking at him. And Colin acted like it was the best thing in the world. And now a girl was staring at him. An older student. That was enough to make Al stop in his tracks.

"Al!" Colin put as much annoyance as possible into that word.

"It's really you," the girl said. She tried to smile. "Colin, he's nervous enough without you egging him on."

"But he's . . ."

The girl interrupted. "A ten year old boy who is suddenly the center of attention." She stepped forward toward Al as she kept talking. "Professor Alphonse Elric used to tutor me, even though it didn't help. But I used to talk to him, about the past. He told me about Resembool."

"I did?" Al asked.

"Everyone's waiting," Colin insisted.

"Let them wait," the girl said. "And yeah, uh, . . ." The girl laughed. "Sorry, I keep trying to call you Professor."

"My name's Al."

"They're waiting," Colin pleaded.

"Shut up, Colin, or we'll all be out here until supper." The girl turned back to Al. "It's like this, Al. I know how things were for you. Growing up in a small village. Just think of this as a big town meeting and you're the guest of honor." She bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "That's for courage."

"Um, who are you?" Al asked as the girl backed away.

"Vicky Weasley. And I already know that you are Alphonse Elric. And, Al."

"Yeah?" All looked up at the girl's smile.

"When you go into the Great Hall, don't look up or you'll see the most amazing site in your life."

"It's just the ceiling," Colin said, annoyed.

Vicky smiled at Al. "It's above the floating candles." She quickly walked into the Hall, leaving the two boys alone. Colin looked at Al, smiling when they started moving forward. They entered the Great Hall, side by side.

Not that Al cared. The first thing he did was look up. He vaguely remembered Colin grabbing his arm to guide him.

* * *

Ed's first reaction was amusement. Al did exactly what every first year had done for generations. He looked up at the ceiling in amazement. And the whispering was starting. The students had known Alphonse Elric as a seven foot giant. They had known him as a teacher. Now he was walking amongst them as a boy not yet old enough to attend this very school.

Colin kept pulling him forward, happy to be in charge of the boy who was the center of attention. Finally, Al was standing in front of the teachers table, staring at the blond man with a modest beard.

"Brother?"

"Yeah, Al. You were taking too long. I grew up without you."

"Your arm?" He noticed the metal fingers.

Ed tried to hold his smile. It was Flora's idea to remove the gloves he always wore. Try to get the nasty shocks out of the way. "Yeah, I decided to keep them. Kinda got used to the automail." He saw the question in Al's eyes. "That night, I lost my leg, too. You carried me to Pinako's house." He flexed his hand. "Winry makes great automail."

Ed prepared himself for the next question. When Al asked where Winry was. He was forced to explain about the Philosopher's Stone. They had made it to restore Al. But back in Amestris, they had one as well. But he had died, and Al used that stone to bring him back. Except they fell through a gate into another world, a world that permitted both Alchemy and magic. He had no idea what happened to Winry, or to anyone they used to know.

"It's a new life, Al. For both of us." He held out his hand, the automail one. "Welcome back."

As Al shook his hand, a stern looking woman, with gray hair tied back in a bun, had stood up. She called for everyone's attention. Then she turned to Al and smiled. First, she introduced herself.

"For obvious reasons, Alphonse Elric, your teaching privileges are suspended. Also, I do believe you are now ten years of age, but we have no way of determining exactly when your birthday is. I've therefore made the arbitrary decision that it should be celebrated on August 31."

Colin hit Al's shoulder. "That means we'll be going to school together."

"Uh, yeah."

"As for where you should sit," Professor McGonagall. "You may sit here with your brother and his wife or, as your nephew is found of doing, join the students at one of the tables. Perhaps you might want to sit with your niece."

"Sister," Colin corrected. Then he explained that he decided he'd rather have Al as a brother instead of an uncle.

Ed laughed. "Young man, do you honestly expect me to tell my brother when to go to bed, to brush his teeth and to pick up after himself."

"It would be a change, Brother," Al answered, smiling for the first time. "I was always the one to tell you."

Ed smiled, too. An honest smile. The milestone had been passed. He made it a point to introduce Flora. He waved Trisha to come forward and introduced her as well. Then he repeated the Headmistress's offer. It was Trisha who decided the issue. She asked him to join her. Too many friends wanted to reintroduce themselves. As they walked over to the Gryffindor table, Professor McGonagall announced that afternoon classes were cancelled, and the feast should now begin.

Ed sighed as he sat down. Things would work themselves out. He even liked the idea Colin had. Al would have a good effect on him. And later they would talk. And if Al wanted to know more about the times he could not remember, Ed would show him how to use a pensieve. All the while during the feast, he would talk to the others. But he was always watching his brother.

* * *

It was an odd feast. That it occurred in the middle of the day was one reason. Another was that most of the students were not sitting. Anyone who had taken an Alchemy class felt they had a right to take a closer look at the former teacher and future student. The others merely wanted to, regardless of the reason.

Al, with the help of his sister/niece Trisha and his newest friend Vicky, managed to hold his own. By the time the third person introduced themselves, he admitted he would never remember all the names. It seemed a requirement that every upper year girl who was a former student had to give him a kiss on the cheek and their congratulations. The exception was one first year who said she thought he was cute. She gave him the shortest kiss possible, on the lips, then disappeared into the crowd of students.

In the midst of all the attention, he did manage to eat. And to talk. It was mostly about the school. The different houses. Who the teachers were. Who Professor Al's friends were. His favorite students. Vicky told him that the list automatically included any Weasley. Because he saved half the clan during the war, or something like that.

It was Colin who was annoyed. He was supposed to be Al's guide. But Trisha was taking over from him. She suggested showing Al the dorms. And Colin was left to follow along. And it was Trisha who asked Al to try something, something Colin would have thought of if given the time. She explained that her father did not need to make a circle because of passing through the gate. It was a simple transmutation, sand into a stone sculpture. Al tried it, clapping his hands together. And the sand became the finest horse sculpture he had ever made. (One of the legs was shorter than the others but it still looked good.)

"I'M supposed to show him around," Colin said testily when Trisha suggested they visit the other houses.

"Then you can lead the way," Trisha snapped at him. "You can even pick the house."

"Um," Al said a little louder than he had to. It was a very effective word for interrupting. "I think it's a wonderful idea, Trisha, but I am kinda tired of meeting people I don't know."

"You see," Colin said with a bit more cheer. "I'll walk him around the school so he 'll know his way." He walked to the entrance with confidence. "C'mon, Al."

"Don't go with him, Uncle Al. He's treating you like you're a little boy."

Vicky laughed. "Go with him, Al. He's the only one treating you like a boy."

As Trisha blushed as she understood, Al gave everyone a smile and joined his tour guide for a trip about the school.

"She always tries to take charge."

"She was only trying to help."

"But Madam Pomfrey put me in charge of you."

Al changed the subject. "Where are we going?"

"The astronomy tower. It's got the best view of the grounds. I don't know about you, but I ate too much. I hope we can walk it off."

Al nodded his head, mumbled a yes and followed.

The view was nice, and it was quiet for a change. Colin pointed out the obvious. The lake. The nearby town. Dumbledore's Tomb. The Giant Stones, eleven pillars where real giants were chained to as prisoners during the war. The Quidditch pitch. Along with a scattered explanation of what Quidditch was and an enthusiastic endorsement for playing it.

They walked by the library, just so Al would know where it was. Then they came to a long hallway. There was a statue at the other end. Colin suddenly began to run. It was a challenge. Al followed, catching up to him just before they reached the statue. Colin said something and the butt swung open. He explained that it used to lead into the town but it caved in or something. It still makes a great hiding place if you ever need one.

As Colin led the way to his next chosen destination, a passing student, a boy who looked younger than Vicky but older than Trisha, stopped them. "I know it must be annoying, Sir, but congratulations."

"Ignore him, Al," Colin said with authority.

"He's just being polite," Al said, annoyance in his voice. He turned to the boy. "Thanks, and next time, call me Al."

"Yes, Sir," the boy said and continued on his way.

"Next time, call me Al," Colin whined.

"It doesn't hurt to be polite." There was a touch of anger in Al's voice. "Not that you would ever know."

"I'm supposed to show you around," Colin emphasized. "You need to know your way around the school."

"NO, I don't need to. You just want me as your own private toy."

"THAT'S A LIE."

"IS IT? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU ASKED ME WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO? NONE."

In a fit of anger, Colin grabbed Al's shoulder and told him to grow up. Al responded by pushing Colin away so hard that he fell to the ground. Al looked down at him, feeling the anger inside himself.

"I HATE YOU."

He turned and ran, his only plan was to get away from that boy.

* * *

Colin looked up from the floor as Al ran away.

"I HATE YOU, TOO, YOU USELESS LUMP."

Al stopped to turn around. "AT LEAST I'M TALLER THAN YOU."

"NOT BY MUCH."

Once the other boy disappeared, he picked himself up. He began walking, at no great speed, back to the apartment they had within the castle. He did not walk in a straight line.

"Where's Al?"

Colin tried to ignore his father until the question was asked the second time.

"I hate him. He always does things better than me."

"You had a fight," Mum said needlessly.

Colin ignored her. "Dad, how did you put up with him?" It was a long shot, but maybe Dad's memories would make him an ally instead of the executioner.

Dad smiled. "Let me think. He was always making friends with everyone, when they'd barely look at me."

Colin nodded. That described the Great Hall perfectly. Girls who wouldn't even talk to him were cooing over Al for no reason. "Yeah, I know that."

Dad chuckled. "And then there were the times we'd race. He'd always win. I hated that. And I honestly don't think I ever won a fight. Except for Alchemy, I was never any good at anything. He was even taller than me by the time I was your age."

Colin looked up and saw a mutual understanding. A surprising thought entered his head. Maybe Dad did have some idea of what was going on in the real world.

"How did you deal with him, I mean, all the time?"

Colin noticed the grin become a grim. "He was my little brother. I took care of him."

"And it's getting late," Mum said. "You lost him, you go find him." She added firmly, "Now."

"BUT." He lowered his voice at the glare he received. "He could be anywhere."

"When we fought," Dad said in a soft voice, "and he went off on his own, he always went to sit by the river."

Colin nodded his head and walked back out of the apartment. He made his way through the halls to the main doors. From there, he walked down the steps to the docks, then took the path that followed the edge of the lake.

It was a good twenty minute walk before Colin spotted his quarry. Sitting on a rock near the edge of the lake, just staring across the water as it reflected the setting sun. He walked up slowly. He was only a few feet away when he scuffed a rock. Al heard the noise and turned around. Seeing Colin, he stood up and raised his fists, prepared to fight.

Colin just stood there and shrugged his shoulders. "C'mon. Mum says it's getting late." He turned and slowly began walking back to the castle.

Al watched him for a moment. He lowered his fists and mumbled, "okay." Just as slowly, he began to follow.

As the two boys crested a rise and Hogwarts came back into view, they both noticed it. In a window on the floor above the entrance was a light. And they both knew. It was a light to show their way home so they wouldn't get lost. They began to race. By the time they reached the doors, even though Al won, both boys were laughing.


End file.
